In 2004, Molycop commissioned a new manufacturing plant in Mejillones, in Northern Chile. Mejillones was once a small fishing town, but given its location in the middle of what is today the world’s largest copper mining regions, it has rapidly developed into an important centre servicing the mining industry.
In 2007 a number of the newly-arrived companies created the Mejillones Industrial Association (AIM). The purpose of AIM is to work with the existing inhabitants of Mejillones to responsibly manage potential impacts from the rapid industrial expansion, and to ensure that value is returned to the community.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women in Chile and so Molycop and three other AIM members partnered with the Foundation Arturo Lopez Perez (FALP) in a project to improve the early detection of breast cancer. FALP is a non-profit organisation devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. his was achieved by bringing a mobile breast cancer screening clinic to Mejillones and making available 400 free breast cancer screening examinations for local women.