China Brings a Modular City to Argentina: A Camp for 5,000 Miners at an Altitude of 4,000 Meters

China will begin construction of a modular city in the San Juan mountain range in Argentina, just about 10 kilometers from the border with Chile, to support the development of the Vicuña mining project. The complex, known as Camp Batidero, will be located more than 4,000 meters above sea level and will have the capacity to house up to 5,000 workers, with most of the structures manufactured in Asia and transported to the high mountains for assembly. The Vicuña project is being developed by the mining companies Lundin Mining and BHP and includes infrastructure for the personnel who will work at the complex’s various sites. The camp expansion contract was awarded to a consortium comprising the Chinese companies PowerChina and Beijing Chengdong, along with the local firm RAFA S.A. The new infrastructure will consist of prefabricated modular structures, designed to house thousands of workers in extreme high-altitude conditions, which will be shipped from Asia. They will be assembled on site using a system that allows for the distribution of different spaces and their adaptation to the terrain without the need to construct all the facilities using traditional building methods. The complex will initially have about 2,500 beds, although the shift system typical of the mining industry will allow the facilities to be used by between 3,500 and 5,000 workers. The number of staff housed there will vary according to each team’s work and rest periods—an arrangement that optimizes the use of the facilities without requiring the building’s capacity to accommodate the entire workforce. The infrastructure will consist of rooms, dining halls, offices, and service areas, as well as spaces for rest and recreation. The project’s goal is to centralize, within a single site, the main daily needs of those working in the mountain range—in an environment where weather conditions and altitude make frequent travel difficult. The Batidero camp already offers some of these services, including lodging and dining facilities, medical care, a gym, and recreational areas. The new infrastructure will expand this existing capacity and add more space to accommodate staff joining the project as the various phases of the Vicuña project progress. The modular design—with components manufactured in China and transported to South America for final assembly—aims to accelerate construction timelines in an area characterized by difficult access and extreme weather conditions, typical of the mountain range at altitudes exceeding 4,000 meters. This type of prefabricated solution is commonly used in large-scale mining projects located in remote areas, where transporting traditional materials and local labor is more complex. Участие компаний PowerChina и Beijing Chengdong в консорциуме-победителе дополняет другие китайские инвестиции в инфраструктуру региона на фоне растущего присутствия азиатских компаний в крупных проектах в Южной Америке. Данный материал был подготовлен с помощью искусственного интеллекта и проверен журналистом газеты «El País».