Why a Copper CRC?

 

The Challenge

With forecasts predicting a looming supply shortfall, the copper industry needs to close the gap between copper endowment and production levels without adverse impacts to the environment and society. Known and new resources need to be developed at pace.

In Australia, there is an opportunity to grow the country’s position as a primary copper producer (6th or 8th globally) to meet its ranking for known copper resources (2nd globally) (Geoscience Australia, 2021).

Contributing to the challenge of meeting copper demand by increasing production, is that at current copper prices, a decrease in operating costs is required to mine lower grade copper. Additionally, copper extraction and production is energy, water and land intensive.

To solve these challenges, the proposed Copper for Tomorrow CRC will bring together industry and researchers to enable the Australian copper industry to be the solution to and for a global net zero future.

The Opportunity

The opportunity is to increase the competitiveness, productivity, and sustainability of Australia’s copper industry, reducing operating costs and enabling operating companies to deal with lower grade, complex mineralogical resources under deep cover.

The Copper for Tomorrow CRC brings together members of the copper ecosystem to identify the efforts needed to enable the economic extraction of Australian copper resources in ways that:

  • are faster and less capital intensive

  • use less energy and water

  • produce less waste and emissions

  • add community and social value.

At the same time the CRC will work to improve integration between copper industry players and projects, develop common infrastructure, and go some way towards addressing the current loss of appetite for investment.

The Copper for Tomorrow CRC is the first entity to take a whole of value chain approach to embedding ESG, making it a value driver. There is an opportunity to produce Australian copper that can be certified as low emission, low water ‘green’ copper. Australia is well placed to lead the development of these technologies and methods and take them to a global market through the vibrant Australian METS sector.

Industry-led

The Copper for Tomorrow CRC is developing an industry-led two-fold strategy, working with partners to make their existing operations more efficient and less water and energy intensive, while looking to the horizon to the next copper deposits and designing extraction and processing methodologies and technologies that minimise impact while adding value.

Addressing the future copper supply challenges requires cooperation between all stakeholders: industry, investors, government, education and research. The Copper for Tomorrow CRC will help stakeholders across the copper supply chain:

  • Collaboratively develop and deploy tools and services to enable industry to produce sustainable and green copper essential for a clean energy future, minimising impact, while adding value to the community

  • See a measurable reduction in the energy, water, waste (including tailings) and emissions for every tonne of copper produced

  • Establish new ways to address social, environmental, and development challenges that can strengthen mining approval processes and operations

  • Deliver commercialisation outcomes for the METS and clean technology sectors to a global mining market

  • Demonstrate a resilient copper supply chain from orebody to metal

  • Contribute to the development of technologies for green copper that is certified and secured by tracking and tracing

  • Advance the nation’s decarbonisation targets via green copper, and drive the growth of clean technology expertise and solutions globally.

Contact us

T: +61 (0) 8 8313 1448
E: iser@adelaide.edu.au