Application of Solar Heating on the Electrolyte Conditioning for Electrowinning Process: Thermosolar Plant Performance

In this contribution, the performance of a thermosolar plant to provide heat to the copper electrowinning (EW) process is analyzed. This plant, equipped with a collecting area of 404 m² and flat plate solar collectors generating a capacity of 540 MWh/t/year, features a thermal storage tank which allows water to be maintained at an average temperature of 95 ºC, ensuring continuous energy supply for heating the electrolyte. The assessment was conducted over a 4-month operational period, specifically under the climatic conditions of northern Chile, to evaluate both the solar field performance and overall plant efficiency. Additionally, the study explored the reduction in fuel consumption achieved by substituting liquefied gas with thermal solar energy for electrolyte heating, which correspondingly resulted in a decrease in CO2 emissions. The findings indicate that the mining company successfully reduced CO2 emissions by 203.6 tons/year through the implementation of the solar plant.