Publications

Mine Excellence 2018

Event: Mine Excellence 2018

Date: 21-23 March 2018

Location: Santiago, Chile

Paper: Reducing Water, Energy and Emissions through Grade Engineering®


           
 

Title:

Reducing Water, Energy and Emissions through Grade Engineering®

 Category:

Grade Engineering

 

       
 

Author:

Dr Michael Scott

 

       
 

Affiliations:

CRC ORE

 

       
 

Abstract text:

The Australian mining industry currently consumes 28 % more water, 21 % more energy and generates 19 % greater emissions to maintain the same level of production as achieved in 2000-01. These trends in declining energy, water and emission productivity have been attributed to increased development of lower quality resources as higher grade, easily accessed deposits are depleted. Industry focus for managing rising water, energy and emission intensity of production is often limited to incremental improvements in energy and water consumption, with little attention given to preconcentration strategies that improve the quality of ore processed.

Studies have shown that early intervention to preconcentrate ore streams and separate uneconomic material prior to energy, emission and water intensive stages of mineral processing, have a pronounced improvement on energy and water productivity, emission intensity and the profitability of metalliferous operations. This paper describes the evaluation of water, energy and emission intensity of production, comparing the implementation of energy and water efficient technologies and Grade Engineering® strategies at an Australian Au-Cu deposit.

The results show that a focus on energy and water efficient technologies can produce sizeable reductions in the energy (-19 %), water (-31 %) and emission (-16 %) intensity of production but comparatively low economic returns at the case study site. These results confirm that the cost of energy and water consumption at the operation was low, despite energy costs contributing one-third of the total operational expenses of the operation.

Grade Engineering® strategies were shown to provide significant reductions in the water (-21 %), energy (-9 %) and emission (-15 %) intensity of production and a substantially improvement to the net present value of the operation (+13 %). The implementation of Grade Engineering® strategies in combination with water and energy efficient equipment and practices can further reduce the water (-45 %) energy (-27 %) and emission (-29 %) intensity of production.

 

       
 

Presentation:

Watch the presentation or Download the paper

 
       
 

Contact us:

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