43 million tonnes of copper has been mined but never processed over the last decade, trapped in mine waste from Australia to America. But that might be about to change.
The lost copper has been too difficult to extract using conventional mining methods, but if extracted could help overcome a looming shortage as the world demands clean energy, technology and electrification.
But a U.S. startup called Jetti Resources says it now has the technology to release that stranded metal, which is set to grow more than fivefold by 2050, or a decade’s worth of mine supply.
Jetti Resources has developed a catalyst that can liberate copper from low-grade chalcopyrite ores—with a metal content of well below 1%—by disrupting the sulfure metal bond of the mineral. Traditional leaching methods, which dissolve the metal to form a weak solution of copper sulphate, lead to a film forming over the copper in these ores, preventing it from being extracted.
The new process can be bolted on to existing plants and increase production by 20% to 100% depending on the type of operation, according to Jetti.
The startup already has its first commercial plant at a mine in Arizona, but has a pipeline of 23 projects at various stages, including five pilots and three operations set to transition to commercial status in the next year or so.
Jetti Resources: https://jettiresources.com