Energy

Freeport-McMoRan Emission Reduction & Energy Efficiency

Oct 20, 2015 10:50 AM ET
Campaign: Freeport-McMoRan: Annual Report on Sustainability
High efficiency ball mills and a hydraulic roll crusher were installed at Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci Mine in Arizona, allowing for up to 25 percent more energy efficiency than other crushing circuits in the industry.

October 20, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Freeport-McMoRan invests more than $10 million annually into energy-related research and development. Freeport-McMoRan participates in utility efficiency programs and supports renewable energy standards when feasible, such as providing mining-related property for solar power generation.

Recent efficiency achievements include:

  • Deployed proprietary alternative anode technology to reduce energy required in producing electrowon copper

  • Use excess process heat from the sulfur burner at the Safford mine in Arizona to generate up to 15 megawatts (MW) of power for continuous use at mine processing operations

  • Provided mining-related property for a combined 20 MW of solar power generation in Arizona

  • Implemented High Pressure Grinding Rolls in the milling process. This is the first application in the global copper industry, resulting in a greater than 15 percent reduction in grinding energy requirements

  • Installed high-efficiency ball mills and a hydraulic roll crusher to process higher volumes of ore at the flagship Morenci operation in Arizona, resulting in an approximately 25 percent more energy-efficient crushing circuit

  • Developed an approach to achieve energy-efficient blasting and downstream crushing and grinding operations

  • Maintained ISO 50001 certification at the Atlantic Copper smelter in Spain for its energy management system.

For more information about energy management at Freeport-McMoRan operations, see http://www.fcx.com/sd/env/energy_manage.htm

Visit the 2014 Working Toward Sustainable Development Report for more information on all of their social, economic and environmental efforts