COPPER PROCESSING
Red metal momentum
Copper ’ s ties to global economic growth are only strengthening with the ongoing electrification of the world . Dan Gleeson investigates how increasing amounts of the metal can be produced with the minimised operating footprint stakeholders insist on
The copper sector has become one of the most dynamic spaces in mining , with collaboration between suppliers , stakeholders and end users leading to massive shifts in the way the metal is extracted , smelted , concentrated and refined .
Red metal miners intent on decarbonising their operations and producing product in the most sustainable ways are being rewarded by investors and end users alike , whether it be new equity and debt investment in development projects , or accreditation as a supplier of choice with companies that have sustainable sourcing requirements at their core .
There is only one direction copper miners can head if they want to stay relevant and in demand in the future , and that is towards ‘ net zero ’ status .
An organisation that understands these pressures better than most is The Copper Mark , an assurance framework set up to promote the responsible production of copper .
The Copper Mark works with companies and organisations throughout the copper industry to enable them to better understand and meet the increasing demands for independently verified responsible production practices , and to contribute positively to sustainable development .
In the three-or-so years since launch , the organisation has encouraged many large copper producers to sign up to The Copper Mark , with the assurance framework now covering some 20- 25 % of global copper production .
The organisation is doing its utmost to increase participation across the copper space , yet it is also trying to keep up with ever-changing stakeholder requirements . This means even with up to a quarter of copper production coming from Copper Mark-approved sites , there are still gaps between its standards and the reality on the ground .
Copper Mark ’ s Executive Director , Michèle Brülhart , explained : “ Based on the data we have after three years of implementation , there are three major areas where we see most improvement opportunities in terms of getting more copper producers to comply with the framework . Unsurprisingly , these are quite closely related to areas where stakeholder expectations are rapidly changing and evolving .” The area where The Copper Mark has seen most gaps is the due diligence in mineral supply chains and , connected to that , the criteria it refers to as “ business relationships ” in its framework .
“ There you see lots of regulatory developments in Europe , such as the London Metals Exchange ’ s responsible sourcing requirements , that our member companies are having to adapt to ,” Brülhart told IM . “ There has been a need for companies to catch up and , I would say , broaden the systems they had in place previously .”
The second area affecting uptake and compliance is around tailings management . In this area , The Copper Mark reacted quickly to the publication of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management ( GISTM ), adopting the standard in between its normal revision timelines .
“ We wanted to commit to the best available practices , hence adopting the standard , but
Freeport ’ s Bagdad mine in Arizona , which is the site testing Jetti Resources ’ technology , is one of the company ’ s major leaching test hubs
understand this is not an overnight transition ; it will take some time for our participants to achieve all the requirements of the GISTM ,” Brülhart said .
The third is around greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions – a rapidly-evolving market force affected by expectations from investors , policymakers and customers .
Where five years ago , companies were talking about using carbon offsets and credits , they are now committing to fully decarbonise their operations and – in many cases – look beyond Scope 1 & 2 emissions .
Copper producers are probably only behind iron ore companies and the wider steelmaking supply chain when it comes to agreeing on decarbonisation pathways .
On all three of these evolving improvement opportunities , The Copper Mark , like copper producers , is trying to find a balance between pushing forward in its ambitions around responsible copper production and doing too much too soon .
Brülhart explained : “ You can have the most beautifully designed system with lofty goals , but if no-one participates , it has zero impact . We want to have impact on the ground and bring responsible practices to the copper industry and other industries we work with , so we have been very deliberate in our engagement with the community .”
This is seeing The Copper Mark lay out clear guidelines for its member companies in terms of what the ambition for the assurance framework is today , setting expectations of standards members will need to meet at a future date and supplying visibility of a long-term framework pathway .
The benchmark in minerals processing
It is not just mining companies and copper users that are signing up to The Copper Mark .
FLSmidth , for example , joined The Copper Mark as a Partner back in April 2021 , saying , “ As both an enabler of sustainable mining and a company which sources copper for our products , joining The Copper Mark is a natural step for FLSmidth .”
Among other benefits of signing up to the framework , FLSmidth saw the move as a way of further advancing its MissionZero ambition to support , enable and work with mining customers so they can move towards zero energy , zero water waste and zero emissions by 2030 .
Copper is one of FLSmidth ’ s key commodities and , therefore , an important focus for its technology and innovation efforts .
12 International Mining | MARCH 2023