ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to provide an overview of energy saving options in metal production processes. It is hoped that the information will benefit industrialists, students, researchers, metallurgists, and policy makers. Mining companies serious about both cost control and improving productivity globally need to focus on energy efficiency measures. The mineral sector consumes a lot of energy and resources. The cost of energy, especially electricity is rising sharply, in addition to the uncertainties surrounding supply. Many large well-established mining and minerals operations are doing brilliant work to reduce energy consumption and reliance on fossil fuels in their operations, with a greater focus on the efficiency of their equipment and process design. Energy savings are identified through process optimization of different plant systems using a holistic approach that considers all the major plant processes and systems, that is, mill-to-melt processes, and treats all these elements as part of one interlinked system that needs to function optimally.
Comminution (crushing and grinding), separation (froth flotation), and concentrate drying consume the most energy and are responsible for most gas emissions in the mining and mineral processing sectors. This chapter discusses the energy saving opportunities for mill-to-melt processes in terms of innovation, step change technologies, recycling, better waste management practices, and the use of renewable and alternate energy sources. Energy efficiency measures using geometallurgy three-dimensional (3D) models, smart blast technologies, eco-efficient grinding devices, classification systems, novel dewatering technologies, in primary and secondary metal production is discussed. Optimizing energy efficiency across mineral processing operations, and downstream metal production, for example, smelting and refining can directly reduce the overall energy consumption per unit mass of metal produced and thus reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint.
