ChileChile, as one of the world’s leading producers of copperCopper and lithium, plays a crucial role in the clean energy transitionEnergy transition. The country possesses vast volumes of accumulated miningMining tailings containing valuable water resources and metalsMetal, including copperCopper, molybdenum, cobaltCobalt, and rare earth elementsElements. This extended abstract presents two complementary projects for the utilization of these tailings: (1) water drainage from tailings dams using vertical drainage systems and (2) tailings processingTailings processing for the recoveryRecovery of copperCopper and molybdenum concentratesConcentrate. The innovative drainage approach eliminates the need for constructing new tailings dams after processingProcessing, thus avoiding complex permitting processes and community conflicts while enabling potential future uses of processed tailings in constructionConstruction materials. The results indicate that both projects are technically and economically viable, with the tailings processingTailings processing plant showing a net present value of $385.2 million (8% rate) and an internal rate of return of 14.2%. These initiatives reinforce operational stability and position ChileChile as a leader in sustainable miningSustainable mining, promoting circular economyCircular economy principles and supporting the global energy transitionEnergy transition.