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The Impact of Innovative Pre-Concentration Techniques on
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Performance:
A Case Study Using Sensor-Based Sorting
Priscila M. Esteves1, Anthony Sarubbi1, Lutke von Ketelhodt 2 ,John Knouwds2
1 Steinert Latinoamericana, Pedro Leopoldo, Brazil
2 Steinert GmbH, Cologne, Germany
ABSTRACT: In recent times, companies have been driven to report and align their day-to-day activities
with certain targets which fall under the environmental, social and governance pillars. These three pillars are
commonly referred to as the ESG framework. Coupled with this, the clean energy transition is expected to place
an increased demand on the global mining and minerals processing industry. In response to this, it is critical
to evaluate to what degree innovative techniques can assist in alleviating the negative impacts that minerals
processing brings with it. For this reason, a case study was developed to assess the impact of pre-concentration
through sensor-based sorting using various flowsheet scenarios to demonstrate the impact on energy and water
consumption and wet tailings generation. The outcomes of these assessments are provided as a quantifiable
input for the determination of ESG performance.
• Improved energy, water usage and reduced tailings generation by pre-concentration with Sensor-Based
Sorting (SBS)
• Quantifying the environmental benefit of SBS
Keywords: Environmental, social and governance (ESG), energy transition, innovation, pre-concentration.
INTRODUCTION
The mining industry is facing increasing emphasis on envi-
ronmental, social and governance (ESG) performance to
improve its image and to attract investments which are
essential to develop the industry. Innovative technologies
and approaches are essential to break away from traditional
mining and mineral processing methods.
With the increased demand for critical minerals, mining
activities are expected to intensify, bringing both environ-
mental and social challenges. Traditional mineral process-
ing techniques involve significant water usage, leading to
potential risks such as acid mine drainage and the misman-
agement of tailings, which can have catastrophic impacts
on surrounding communities. It is crucial to address these
risks to ensure sustainable mining practices.
The mineral industry also presents an intensive use
of water and energy resources. It is known that mining
activities contribute approximately 3–4% to global energy
consumption, with comminution and crushing processes
accounting for 30–40% of energy use in mines and miner-
als processing plants (Napier-Munn, 215). Moreover, pro-
ducing one ton of gold requires about 250 million litres
The Impact of Innovative Pre-Concentration Techniques on
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Performance:
A Case Study Using Sensor-Based Sorting
Priscila M. Esteves1, Anthony Sarubbi1, Lutke von Ketelhodt 2 ,John Knouwds2
1 Steinert Latinoamericana, Pedro Leopoldo, Brazil
2 Steinert GmbH, Cologne, Germany
ABSTRACT: In recent times, companies have been driven to report and align their day-to-day activities
with certain targets which fall under the environmental, social and governance pillars. These three pillars are
commonly referred to as the ESG framework. Coupled with this, the clean energy transition is expected to place
an increased demand on the global mining and minerals processing industry. In response to this, it is critical
to evaluate to what degree innovative techniques can assist in alleviating the negative impacts that minerals
processing brings with it. For this reason, a case study was developed to assess the impact of pre-concentration
through sensor-based sorting using various flowsheet scenarios to demonstrate the impact on energy and water
consumption and wet tailings generation. The outcomes of these assessments are provided as a quantifiable
input for the determination of ESG performance.
• Improved energy, water usage and reduced tailings generation by pre-concentration with Sensor-Based
Sorting (SBS)
• Quantifying the environmental benefit of SBS
Keywords: Environmental, social and governance (ESG), energy transition, innovation, pre-concentration.
INTRODUCTION
The mining industry is facing increasing emphasis on envi-
ronmental, social and governance (ESG) performance to
improve its image and to attract investments which are
essential to develop the industry. Innovative technologies
and approaches are essential to break away from traditional
mining and mineral processing methods.
With the increased demand for critical minerals, mining
activities are expected to intensify, bringing both environ-
mental and social challenges. Traditional mineral process-
ing techniques involve significant water usage, leading to
potential risks such as acid mine drainage and the misman-
agement of tailings, which can have catastrophic impacts
on surrounding communities. It is crucial to address these
risks to ensure sustainable mining practices.
The mineral industry also presents an intensive use
of water and energy resources. It is known that mining
activities contribute approximately 3–4% to global energy
consumption, with comminution and crushing processes
accounting for 30–40% of energy use in mines and miner-
als processing plants (Napier-Munn, 215). Moreover, pro-
ducing one ton of gold requires about 250 million litres