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A Carbon/Energy Balance Study—Methodology to Determine
the Value of Carbon Capture Solutions in Mineral Processing
Klaas van der Wielen, Bianca Foggiatto
Ausenco Services, Australia
Connor Meinke, Shaihroz Khan and Rajiv Chandramohan
Ausenco Engineering Canada, Canada
ABSTRACT: Mineral carbonation can help counter CO2 emissions but occurs naturally only on geological
timescales. By increasing surface exposure, comminution is pivotal in accelerating the mineral carbonation
process.
This paper evaluates the comminution process for carbon capture and storage, quantifying CO2 emissions
associated with carbonation using olivine. This analysis includes factors such as mine location, transportation,
comminution considerations, and consumables and energy consumption.
Insights regarding feed source, grind size and mineralogical composition are also provided in the context of
defining the suitable comminution flowsheet that optimizes the overall CO2 balance.
INTRODUCTION
As stated by United Nations’ International Panel for
Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to actively
progress toward Net-Zero initiatives by 2050 to minimise
the global average temperature rise by 1.5 °C. There are
two paths to achieving this goal in mining: 1. By actively
reducing the CO2 footprint[references] 2. Finding routes
to capture and store CO2 using sequestration or chemical
methods [references].
In the context of mining and mineral processing, elec-
trical energy is a useful metric to quantify the amount of
CO2 produced through extraction, processing and refine-
ment. There are ancillary measures, such as consumable
consumption [references] and transport[references] that
can be lumped under the energy-carbon footprint metric.
Carbon dioxide capture and storage through mineral car-
bonation is one of many solutions that are being considered
as a potential sequestration method[reference]. Although
mineral carbonation of certain silicates is a well-proven
chemical process from a geological perspective[references],
it is slow requiring thousands of years to see any significant
CO2 reduction in a closed environment system. To accel-
erate the carbonation process, mineral surfaces need to be
exposed and increased therefore, requiring comminution
an important process in the overall carbon capture solution.
This paper presents an analytical methodology to eval-
uate the integration of comminution processes for carbon
capture and storage. The analysis considers CO2 emissions,
to assess the viability of carbonation using olivine mined
and processed specifically for this purpose. The focus of
A Carbon/Energy Balance Study—Methodology to Determine
the Value of Carbon Capture Solutions in Mineral Processing
Klaas van der Wielen, Bianca Foggiatto
Ausenco Services, Australia
Connor Meinke, Shaihroz Khan and Rajiv Chandramohan
Ausenco Engineering Canada, Canada
ABSTRACT: Mineral carbonation can help counter CO2 emissions but occurs naturally only on geological
timescales. By increasing surface exposure, comminution is pivotal in accelerating the mineral carbonation
process.
This paper evaluates the comminution process for carbon capture and storage, quantifying CO2 emissions
associated with carbonation using olivine. This analysis includes factors such as mine location, transportation,
comminution considerations, and consumables and energy consumption.
Insights regarding feed source, grind size and mineralogical composition are also provided in the context of
defining the suitable comminution flowsheet that optimizes the overall CO2 balance.
INTRODUCTION
As stated by United Nations’ International Panel for
Climate Change (IPCC), the world needs to actively
progress toward Net-Zero initiatives by 2050 to minimise
the global average temperature rise by 1.5 °C. There are
two paths to achieving this goal in mining: 1. By actively
reducing the CO2 footprint[references] 2. Finding routes
to capture and store CO2 using sequestration or chemical
methods [references].
In the context of mining and mineral processing, elec-
trical energy is a useful metric to quantify the amount of
CO2 produced through extraction, processing and refine-
ment. There are ancillary measures, such as consumable
consumption [references] and transport[references] that
can be lumped under the energy-carbon footprint metric.
Carbon dioxide capture and storage through mineral car-
bonation is one of many solutions that are being considered
as a potential sequestration method[reference]. Although
mineral carbonation of certain silicates is a well-proven
chemical process from a geological perspective[references],
it is slow requiring thousands of years to see any significant
CO2 reduction in a closed environment system. To accel-
erate the carbonation process, mineral surfaces need to be
exposed and increased therefore, requiring comminution
an important process in the overall carbon capture solution.
This paper presents an analytical methodology to eval-
uate the integration of comminution processes for carbon
capture and storage. The analysis considers CO2 emissions,
to assess the viability of carbonation using olivine mined
and processed specifically for this purpose. The focus of