Peru

Peru is a mining country and the mines are high - very high. Las Bambas sits above 4,000 m, Cerro Verde, Antamina and Toromocho are all at serious altitude, and this is the single most important technical fact about supplying Peru. At 4,200 m the air holds roughly 60 percent of the oxygen available at sea level: a naturally aspirated diesel engine loses a large share of its rated power, air compressors lose capacity, cooling is less effective, and electrical creepage distances change. EMM specifies for the stated site elevation as a matter of course, and we would rather ask the question than ship a machine that will never make its numbers. Cargo lands at Callao, Paita or Matarani.

Copper, fishmeal, agro-export

Mining is the largest industry by far - Peru is the second largest copper producer in the world, with major zinc, silver and gold operations - and it buys crushing and grinding, flotation, thickeners, slurry and dewatering pumps, filtration, conveying, compressors, large generator sets and assay laboratory equipment, with heavy continuous demand for wear parts. Fishing and fishmeal is world-leading: the anchoveta fishery supports plants at Chimbote, Paita and Pisco buying cookers, presses, dryers, evaporators, fish oil plant and handling equipment. Agro-export has grown spectacularly along the irrigated coastal desert - table grapes, blueberries, asparagus, avocado and mango - and buys packhouse lines, grading and sorting, hydrocooling, cold storage, controlled atmosphere and irrigation equipment. Textiles in alpaca and pima cotton, food processing and construction materials complete it.

Altitude, seismicity, Spanish

Peru is on the Pacific ring of fire and seismic anchoring requirements for heavy plant are real, not notional. The coast is arid desert, the sierra is high and cold, the selva is humid tropical - three genuinely different specification cases in one country. Electricity runs at 220 V and 380 V, 60 Hz, an unusual pairing that catches suppliers out. Spanish documentation throughout.

Give us the site elevation in metres with your enquiry. On this market it is the most important number on the page.