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Assessment of comminution energy intensity has traditionally been confined to the crusher and mill motor power consumption. However, a measure of ancillary equipment power consumption is required to fairly compare disparate equipment types and circuit configurations.

Assessment of comminution energy intensity has traditionally been confined to the crusher and mill motor power consumption. However, a measure of the embodied energy consumed through media wear is required to compare disparate equipment types and circuit configurations fairly.

The comminution energy consumed for an ore can be dependent on the liberation and grade characteristics, therefore different commodities can have inherent energy signatures. The Energy Curve approach can be used to compare comminution energy consumption both within and between commodity classes.

The Comminution Energy Curves contain data from comminution circuits that process a wide range of commodities. Energy per copper equivalent production is used to bring the data together on a consistent basis, but this measure is highly dependent on the chosen comparable metal prices.

Can mining play a role in our transition into cleaner energy technologies? Jane Tin an intern at the Sustainable Mineral Institute, looks at some of the issues

Chile has a mature and developed mining industry that has played an important role in the development of the country for over a century and has been at the heart of the national economy for decades.

The variation in electricity price directly impacts the economic value that can be achieved by companies employing energy efficient comminution technologies.

In previous blog posts we have shown the variability in the average electricity price in different countries (2 to 320 $US/MWh), and across different mines in the same country (20 to 140% of the country average).

In addition to the country the mine is operating in, the electricity price can depend on the geographical location, local infrastructure, fuel and generator type, the relevant energy contracts and many other factors.

The decision process around the adoption of energy efficient comminution technologies is a complex one with multiple factors at play. Depending on the company and the individual personal drivers, the weight of different motivating influences may vary between energy cost, environmental concerns, improved productivity, inadequate energy supply, carbon emissions/pricing, community perception, risk avoidance, and others.