Mineral Processing is the third of the five technical Emission Impact Themes identified in the 2019 Zero Emission Copper Mine of the Future Project and follows Water in 2021 and Material Movement in 2022.
A new Minerals Processing Roadmap lays out a vision for sustainable copper mining, the
third in the International Copper Association Australia’s—ICAA—Roadmap to Zero Project
following earlier reports on Water in 2021 and Material Movement in 2022.
The report is a unique collaboration between the resources sector, government, universities and the mining technology industry to reach net zero copper mining.
Copper is key to decarbonisation, helping to deliver clean energy and electrification that will double global demand for refined copper by 2050. Soaring demand brings new development and employment opportunities for both the Australian and NSW economies, but must be done sustainably in a climate-critical world.
Minerals processing is the most energy-intensive part of upstream copper production and can contribute significantly to a site’s emission profile. Minerals Processing identifies how mining companies, working in partnership with stakeholders, can embrace innovation using a ‘systems approach’ to speed collaboration, knowledge and impact.
The Roadmap identifies five mineral processing themes with accessible solutions for now and into the future. These include emerging novel processing solutions, digital and automation technologies like artificial intelligence, mixed realities or machine learning applied across comminution, concentration, extraction, or waste stream processes to better optimise ore liberation, enrichment, recovery, sustainability and asset performance.
Optimising energy, waste, water use and equipment performance at sites can be achieved through cutting-edge grinding, flotation, leaching, ore chemistry, process optimisation and advanced recovery solutions. Future innovations are wide-reaching and include coarse particle flotation, gravity separation, microwave fracturing, novel leaching, bio-mining, artificial neural networks, and ESG mapping.
Minerals Processing was supported by European Copper Institute (ECI), Aeris Resources, Anax Metals, CMOC – Northparkes Mines, Copper for Tomorrow CRC bid, Glencore, MMG, Newcrest Mining, Newmont, Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML), PanAust and Sandfire Resources. The ICAA Roadmap to Zero Project is supported by the NSW Government.
Copper is already playing a transformative role in our low-carbon future and is critical to transforming our energy systems. Growth in copper demand is driven by a range of interrelated forces, including technology improvements and uptake of renewable energy and low-carbon systems, combined with global policy ambition and favourable regulatory settings that support a low-carbon future.
Achieving net zero upstream copper production is a long and complex process, and it must be driven by leadership at the organisational level and at each site. Innovation at an operating mine takes time and effort even when off-the-shelf solutions exist because many solutions require synchronisation with capital decisions and other operating interdependencies.
Download
Please enter your details below to download the report.
Full Report
Executive Summary
