20 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
• Where geography allows mining sites will attract
other downstream business to draw closer to them.
• Natural focus on whole plant decarbonization and
neighborhood provision of services (energy, water,
cooling) rather than incremental efficiency gains
within mineral processes unless other sustainability
drivers are present (e.g., water usage).
SIX DRIVERS FOR FUTURE PATHWAYS
TO SUSTAINABILITY
Minerals engineers are a pivotal in driving the green inno-
vation chain to assure production of metals and minerals
for the future economy. Given the current ‘dash’ for electric
metals and minerals, current perceptions of mining com-
panies and distinctive opportunities for the sector, we sug-
gest that six main levers for delivering change to sustainable
operation are:
1. Mine Operations Powered by Renewable Sources
-prioritizing the delivery of Net-zero Operation
through access to renewable or net-zero energy
supplies for the mine site.
2. Systemic Adoption of Corporate Purpose -adoption
of ethos of Corporate Purpose for all mining oper-
ations, regardless of location, with clear vision and
community structures.
3. Expect and Welcome a Premium Price element in
the Commodities Market -welcoming regulation
or market adaptations to the metals and minerals
commodities market that may see tiered pricing to
favor development of the green innovation chain
by recognizing different asset classes (and that rec-
ognize the whole value including the ‘just profit
increment’ efforts of mining companies).
4. Lead out Green Innovations on the Global Stage -
a strong articulation of the added-value innova-
tion and new business opportunities being created
through mining operations and pioneering (energy
storage, energy systems integration, frontier and
novel extraction processes, other community ser-
vices etc).
5. Focus on Prospective Step-Change Technologies &
Mining Processes Only -greater focus on optimi-
zation of metallurgical unit operations that can
deliver significant step change in energy or water
or other vectors (comminution, flotation, water
re-use, control) and more focus on mining meth-
ods to minimize un-needed material process-
ing. De-emphasizing incremental change to unit
operations since these are hard for manufacturers
to warrant and will lack sufficient return on invest-
ment for retrofitting.
6. Embrace Recycling and Design for Recycling – there
is a need to proactively stimulate recycling and
‘design for recycling’ as part of a new vision for
corporate purposes. The starting place is to drive
innovation in secondary processing in enhancing
recycling rates but also to drive better the product
design businesses and plants and market networks
for recycling.
These levers, if activated, will drive change, grow trust,
secure investment, maintain margin, create more valued
industrial communities, and give proper recognition to the
innovation premium that the mining and mineral commu-
nity can offer for wider societal benefit.
REFERENCE LIST
Agricola, G. 1556,. De Re Metallica (latin) translated by
HC &LC Hoover, Dover Science, 1912.
Azevedo, M., Baczynska, M., Hoffman, K. et al.
(2022). Lithium mining: How new production tech-
nologies could fuel the global EV revolution. www.
mckinsey.com.
Ballantyne, G.R., and Powell, M.S. 2014. Benchmarking
comminution energy consumption for the process-
ing of copper and gold ores. Minerals Engineering
65:109–114.
Benchmark team (2023). Hard rock lithium vs. brine -how
do their carbon curves compare? www.benchmarkmin-
erals.com.
Bermack, L., Harris, C., Bennet, S. et al. 2023. Mine 2023:
The era of reinvention. www.pwc.com.
Bersoff, D.M., Armstrong, C., Derse, A. et al. 2024. 2024
Edelman Trust Barometer. www.edelman.com.
Cornish Lithium Ltd team. 2024. Direct Lithium
Extraction. www.cornishlithium.com.
Edelman Trust Institute. 2024. 2024 Edelman Trust
Barometer. New York: Edelman Trust Institute.
European Copper Institute. 2023. Copper—the path-
way to net zero—regional focus: Europe. Belgium:
International Copper Association.
Fleischmann, J., Schaufuss, P., Horetsky, E. et al. 2023.
Lithium-ion battery demand 2030: Resilient, sustain-
able, and circular. www.mckinsey.com.
Gasimov, F., Gopala, K.M., and Williams A. R. 2024. (to
be published in November at) Critical Mineral 2024,
Minerals Engineering Conference.
Green, M.A. 2023. The World Factbook 2023. Lisbon:
International Copper Study Group.
• Where geography allows mining sites will attract
other downstream business to draw closer to them.
• Natural focus on whole plant decarbonization and
neighborhood provision of services (energy, water,
cooling) rather than incremental efficiency gains
within mineral processes unless other sustainability
drivers are present (e.g., water usage).
SIX DRIVERS FOR FUTURE PATHWAYS
TO SUSTAINABILITY
Minerals engineers are a pivotal in driving the green inno-
vation chain to assure production of metals and minerals
for the future economy. Given the current ‘dash’ for electric
metals and minerals, current perceptions of mining com-
panies and distinctive opportunities for the sector, we sug-
gest that six main levers for delivering change to sustainable
operation are:
1. Mine Operations Powered by Renewable Sources
-prioritizing the delivery of Net-zero Operation
through access to renewable or net-zero energy
supplies for the mine site.
2. Systemic Adoption of Corporate Purpose -adoption
of ethos of Corporate Purpose for all mining oper-
ations, regardless of location, with clear vision and
community structures.
3. Expect and Welcome a Premium Price element in
the Commodities Market -welcoming regulation
or market adaptations to the metals and minerals
commodities market that may see tiered pricing to
favor development of the green innovation chain
by recognizing different asset classes (and that rec-
ognize the whole value including the ‘just profit
increment’ efforts of mining companies).
4. Lead out Green Innovations on the Global Stage -
a strong articulation of the added-value innova-
tion and new business opportunities being created
through mining operations and pioneering (energy
storage, energy systems integration, frontier and
novel extraction processes, other community ser-
vices etc).
5. Focus on Prospective Step-Change Technologies &
Mining Processes Only -greater focus on optimi-
zation of metallurgical unit operations that can
deliver significant step change in energy or water
or other vectors (comminution, flotation, water
re-use, control) and more focus on mining meth-
ods to minimize un-needed material process-
ing. De-emphasizing incremental change to unit
operations since these are hard for manufacturers
to warrant and will lack sufficient return on invest-
ment for retrofitting.
6. Embrace Recycling and Design for Recycling – there
is a need to proactively stimulate recycling and
‘design for recycling’ as part of a new vision for
corporate purposes. The starting place is to drive
innovation in secondary processing in enhancing
recycling rates but also to drive better the product
design businesses and plants and market networks
for recycling.
These levers, if activated, will drive change, grow trust,
secure investment, maintain margin, create more valued
industrial communities, and give proper recognition to the
innovation premium that the mining and mineral commu-
nity can offer for wider societal benefit.
REFERENCE LIST
Agricola, G. 1556,. De Re Metallica (latin) translated by
HC &LC Hoover, Dover Science, 1912.
Azevedo, M., Baczynska, M., Hoffman, K. et al.
(2022). Lithium mining: How new production tech-
nologies could fuel the global EV revolution. www.
mckinsey.com.
Ballantyne, G.R., and Powell, M.S. 2014. Benchmarking
comminution energy consumption for the process-
ing of copper and gold ores. Minerals Engineering
65:109–114.
Benchmark team (2023). Hard rock lithium vs. brine -how
do their carbon curves compare? www.benchmarkmin-
erals.com.
Bermack, L., Harris, C., Bennet, S. et al. 2023. Mine 2023:
The era of reinvention. www.pwc.com.
Bersoff, D.M., Armstrong, C., Derse, A. et al. 2024. 2024
Edelman Trust Barometer. www.edelman.com.
Cornish Lithium Ltd team. 2024. Direct Lithium
Extraction. www.cornishlithium.com.
Edelman Trust Institute. 2024. 2024 Edelman Trust
Barometer. New York: Edelman Trust Institute.
European Copper Institute. 2023. Copper—the path-
way to net zero—regional focus: Europe. Belgium:
International Copper Association.
Fleischmann, J., Schaufuss, P., Horetsky, E. et al. 2023.
Lithium-ion battery demand 2030: Resilient, sustain-
able, and circular. www.mckinsey.com.
Gasimov, F., Gopala, K.M., and Williams A. R. 2024. (to
be published in November at) Critical Mineral 2024,
Minerals Engineering Conference.
Green, M.A. 2023. The World Factbook 2023. Lisbon:
International Copper Study Group.