Mining energy consumption as a function of ore grade decline: the case of lead and zinc

Demand for raw materials is increasing exponentially. To satisfy that demand, more minerals need to be mined from the Earth’s crust. As a result, are being exhausted, and ore grades decline. Lower grade mines also mean energy, which in turn entails fossil fuel emissions climate change. This paper estimates specific energy beneficiation process of metals lead zinc as case studies. The evaluation performed with specialized software, HSC Chemistry assesses every stage: comminution, flotation, refining. Different scenarios have been established simulate behavior mine when it approaches depletion. Preliminary results show consumption would increase by 5 times compared current situation if decrease until level tailings, while almost 2.