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Reducing Specific Energy to Shrink the Carbon Footprint in a Copper Electrowinning Facility

Eduardo P. Wiechmann, Aníbal S. Morales

2011encarbon footprintelectrowinningcurrent efficiencyspecific energycell voltage

Abstract

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This paper examines various technologies and strategies aimed at reducing specific energy consumption in a copper electrowinning facility located in Zaldivar, a Barrick mining operation in Chile. The objective is to enhance the operational efficiency of the process, which traditionally consumes substantial energy and produces a significant carbon footprint. The methodology involved optimizing key variables, specifically the average cell voltage and current efficiency, while analyzing production cycles across multiple cells. Performance metrics were measured over 16 harvest cycles, producing a total of 62,400 cathodes, equating to 2,500 tons of copper. Findings revealed that implementing the tested technologies could save approximately 14,000 MWh of energy annually, leading to a reduction of 14,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. These results underscore the potential for employing targeted energy-saving strategies to significantly mitigate the environmental impact of copper production while maintaining output levels.

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Cite This Work

@article{b90cc418-6b78-4b2a-993b-9e57559da1c0,
  title={Reducing Specific Energy to Shrink the Carbon Footprint in a Copper Electrowinning Facility},
  author={Eduardo P. Wiechmann and Aníbal S. Morales},
  year={2011},
  language={en}
}
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Reducing Specific Energy to Shrink the Carbon Footprint in a Copper Electrowinning Facility
AU  - Eduardo P. Wiechmann
AU  - Aníbal S. Morales
PY  - 2011
LA  - en
ER  -

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