Reducing CO2 emissions

Pathways for decarbonization in mining

The topics of “global warming”, “CO2 emissions and footprint” and “CO2 climate neutrality” have all made avenues into the mining industry and are now playing into key decisions. In the following paper, facts on the current situation are provided and pathways to achieving considerable savings in greenhouse gas emissions in mining, ore beneficiation and metal smelting are indicated.

1 Challenges in decarbonization

The extraction and processing of raw materials is energy-intensive and causes the emission of large quantities of greenhouse gases. For every tonne of copper produced, an average of around 2.6 t CO2 and 2.0 kg sulphur dioxide are generated as air pollutants. But without copper and other raw materials like nickel, cobalt, lithium, rare earths, etc., decarbonization of the global economy with increasing electrification and green power would not be achievable. Without raw materials, the emissions of the mining industry would be saved, but the global economy would...

Related articles:

Issue 10/2017

Energy efficiency • Energy intensity in copper and gold mining

1 Introduction In recent years, many mining companies have been able to reduce their specific energy requirements in the ore processing of base metals, gold, silver and platinum group metals, thereby...

more
Issue 11/2018 Trend reversal

Metal ore mining in Europe

1??? Introduction It‘s been over 150 years since Europe dominated the mining industry. Measured by the production of metal ores, Europe still accounted for 62?% of world revenues in 1860. However,...

more
Issue 01-02/2011

Progress

Improving the profitability of copper ore processing

1 Increasing grinding efficiency with the improved Vertimill Having acquired the licence in 1979, Metso (then Koppers) has exclusively supplied the Vertimill and steadily further developed it....

more
Issue 01-02/2015 Advances in Fine Grinding and Classification

Energy Trends

Advances in Fine Grinding and Classification

1?Introduction Available resource deposits with a high content of useful minerals are becoming scarcer and scarcer. As a rule, the resources mined today can be described as finely and extremely...

more
Issue 12/2020 Focus on grinding technology

Trends in the mining industry

1? Introduction Ore deposits with high content of recoverables are becoming increasingly rare. For some ores, the decrease in metal content is so significant that grinding to particle sizes smaller...

more