By Sean Ashcroft
As the global demand for clean energy surges, the copper industry faces the challenge of ramping up production while maintaining sustainable practices. Claudio Martinez, Global Copper Lead at Worley, emphasizes the critical role of technology in achieving this balance.
The Rising Demand for Copper
Copper is essential for the energy transition, with demand projected to double in the next decade. By 2050, the need for copper is expected to surpass all the copper consumed worldwide from 1900 to 2021. This surge could lead to significant supply shortages by 2031, potentially increasing copper prices by 20-50%.
Challenges in Copper Production
The industry is grappling with declining ore grades and more complex processing requirements, which demand more energy and water and generate more tailings. The current copper mining operations consume the equivalent of 10 times the water in Sydney Harbour annually and contribute 0.2% of the global carbon footprint.
Additionally, copper-rich regions are facing severe droughts exacerbated by climate change, underscoring the need for more efficient and sustainable production methods.
Technological Innovations in Copper Mining
Promising technologies in sorting, grinding, flotation, leaching, and filtering offer more efficient, economical, and sustainable copper production. Innovations like coarse particle flotation and advanced filtering techniques can enhance recovery rates while reducing energy and water consumption.
However, the adoption of these technologies has been slow, with many yet to be implemented in copper mines. Engineering expertise is crucial to bridge the gap between laboratory developments and real-world applications, ensuring these technologies are effectively integrated into mining operations.
Barriers to Technological Adoption
The copper industry is traditionally conservative, often relying on century-old processes. Innovations are typically introduced incrementally, focusing on specific production aspects rather than a comprehensive overhaul of the entire process. This siloed approach extends to the separation of copper mining, water operations, power supply, and land usage, which hampers collaborative efforts.
The Path to Innovation
An ecosystem approach is essential for unlocking the full potential of new technologies. This holistic, technology-neutral strategy integrates everything from water operations to processing technologies, driving economic and environmental efficiencies across the production flowsheet. For instance, combining dry storage systems with desalination plants can reduce water consumption and enhance water security.
Worley's Role in Advancing Technology
Worley is actively supporting the deployment of vertical roller mills, which consolidate the milling process into a single machine, eliminating the need for water and reducing energy consumption by over 30%. The company is also involved in deploying 'copper sponge' technology, which improves concentrate grades and reduces water and reagent use.
Worley's initiatives demonstrate the potential for these technologies to deliver significant benefits across the copper production spectrum, from extraction to final product creation.
Achieving Sustainable Copper Production
To meet the growing demand within environmental limits, the copper industry must rapidly adopt and scale up sustainable innovations. Engineering expertise will play a pivotal role in tailoring new technologies to diverse real-world conditions, applying them cohesively across all production stages. This approach will enable the industry to produce greater volumes of copper at lower economic and environmental costs.
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