Status of specific energy intensity of copper: Insights from the review of sustainability reports

There are a range of major industry factors placing upward pressure on the energy intensity of primary copper production. Copper ore grades are declining, mines are becoming deeper and deposits are becoming more complex. However, at the same time the individual processes employed during mining, mineral processing and metal production are becoming more efficient. Given these competing trends, a good question to ask: has the rate of innovation by engineers and the research community been exceeding the upward pressure on energy intensity created by trends at the mine-sites?