Project Phoenix minerals and metals processing rises renewed

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1 Project Phoenix minerals and metals processing rises renewed Proposal to Establish a CRC for Sustainable Minerals and Metals Processing Vision Mission Strategy Sustainable minerals and metals processing satisfying the global material needs of society with a fraction of current ecological impacts To remove technical obstacles to eliminating waste and emissions in the minerals cycle while enhancing business performance To find profitable and innovative ways for the minerals and metals processing sector to make major advances in: Utilisation of resources and materials efficiency Energy consumption and Greenhouse gas emissions Process waste and co-product values Water consumption and impacts Control of minor elements and toxic dispersion Benefits With leadership from industry, in partnership with government and R&D providers, Project Phoenix has the potential to deliver an estimated one billion Australian dollars or more in value over the short, medium and long term, through eco-efficiency gains in existing operations, capturing regional synergies, streamlining and greening the materials supply chain, and commercialising new process technology and new products Leadership demonstrated in sustainable processing will help secure the future of metals and minerals in Australia, allow major resource companies to spread new best practices throughout their global operations, and enhance the mineral industry contribution to sustainable development of the communities and regions it interacts with In Response To achieve these outcomes, we need to develop a rigorous, strategic analysis of the minerals and metals processing sector, from a total systems perspective, so that innovative talent and resources can be focused on the high leverage points Building on the foundations of existing R&D and continuous improvement activities in the industry, there will be a strong initial focus on those technical solutions and practices that can contribute the most to lifting the eco-efficiency of current operations

2 Based on promising pilot work in the Kwinana Industry Area, we can make significant gains based on industrial ecology and regional synergies in the resource processing intense areas of Australia, including Gladstone, Townsville, the WA Gold Fields, Karratha/Port Hedland, Illawarra, and the Hunter We are actively seeking breakthroughs in extracting value from the sector s high volume waste streams, step improvements in the most energy and water intensive processes, and effective control of toxic substances. We are exploring opportunities to eliminate process steps between mining and the production of metal products and industrial minerals Collaboration Project Phoenix has pulled together the proven talent in Australia s world class centres of excellence, who are enthusiastic to work together and create a multi-disciplinary, innovative response to the technical challenges implicit in sustainable development. The established processing expertise of CSIRO Minerals, the Parker Centre and the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre covers the value chain from mine site to industrial minerals and metals, and these core skills are augmented by specialists from Curtin, Queensland (including the Sustainable Minerals Institute), Sydney, Newcastle and other Universities AMIRA International is playing a central role in project management and marketing the initiative around the world. The CRC represents a highly leveraged and tax-efficient opportunity for companies of all sizes in the minerals and metals processing industries to come together to share a vision of a sustainable future and to translate that into practical outcomes with immediate and long term business benefits. It is a natural follow on to the GMI s Mining Minerals Sustainable Development project, which has sponsored this initiative from the beginning through the Australian Region; AMEEF continues to provide a vehicle for dissemination of learnings beyond the participants. Project Phoenix complements the existing and proposed CRC s driven by the coal and petroleum industries for sustainable development of energy resources The formative stage of this project was sponsored by Alcoa, QNI Billiton, Rio Tinto, BHP, WMC, Normandy and Sons of Gwalia, together with CSIRO, Universities and government (Industry Science and Resources) Structure The CRC will commence in July 2003 and continue until 2010 The CRC will be an unincorporated joint venture between the core participants with an incorporated management company

3 The Board will have an independent Chair and representatives of the core participants with a majority of end user members The proposed funding is $11M per year cash and in kind over seven years from industry, government and research providers Federal government funding of $3M per year ($21M total) is proposed Funds from industry will be $2.5M cash per year with equivalent in kind contributions, since the programs will integrate company and regional development activities Indicative funding levels are $ K pa cash from major global corporations, $ K pa from medium sized companies and $50-100K per year from smaller ones; 125% of eligible R&D expenditures are tax deductible The program will build on the foundations of significant existing industry funded projects, which will be rolled in and taken forward by the CRC; expenditures on such existing projects will form part of company cash and in kind contributions Funding commitments will be for seven years, with one year s notice for withdrawal from the CRC Core Participants are those that commit to over $150K cash per year to project activity within the CRC. Supporting Participants commit to at least $50K. Participating companies will be represented on the Program Development Committee, which will ensure individual projects are in alignment with CRC objectives and desired outcomes and have strong industry support. Companies will be directly involved in the specific projects they sponsor (similar to the Parker Centre model) To encourage SME s, non-core R&D organisations, industry associations and other important but relatively small stakeholders to engage positively with the CRC, Associates will be kept closely informed of all CRC activities and can sponsor specific projects without a prior commitment of funding levels. Associates contribute a standard $20K per year (waived against valuable in kind contributions), which will be deemed to be part of any subsequent funding on particular projects We are now preparing the CRC application and business plan for submission by the end of May In parallel, we are widening and strengthening the base of support for the venture from industry and others who share a stake in the outcomes Submission of the CRC proposal includes sign off by responsible officers for the cash and in kind support each company intends to commit to the CRC. The sign off is made in good faith, but is not yet a contractual commitment; firm commitments are made in the first half of 2003, after the success of the CRC bid has been announced and the Centre Agreement is negotiated

4 Program The project portfolio has been structured with active involvement of industry partners to ensure early implementation benefits are captured (up to 30% eco-efficiency improvements) while building the foundations for strategic solutions (up to 90% improvements). The four Programs are: A. Strategic Analysis and Methodologies B. Eco-efficiency of Existing Operations C. Regional and Supply Chain Synergies D. Breakthrough Enabling Technologies If Factor X is the improvement in the ratio of value delivered to cumulative environmental impacts, then Program A is driven by the vision of Factor 10 improvements, Program B is focused on delivering Factor 1.5 benefits in the short term, the synergies in Program C extend the range of innovation to Factor 2 to 3, and Program D covers technical developments that will unlock Factor 4 advances and more. (By way of example, a business improvement of 10% through cost savings and sales of coproducts accomplished with a 50% reduction in wastes and emissions is Factor X = 1.1/0.5 = 2.2) Projects all have clear sustainability and business benefits, which must make a net positive contribution to the value chain as a whole. Projects contribute to and draw on an integrated, life cycle view of minerals and metals supply chains and are based on a multi-disciplinary response to key sustainability challenges for the processing sector. Project Phoenix project themes and priorities: Value capture from smelting and refining wastes Cost effective recovery of energy, industrial minerals (eg for cement and fertiliser production), chemicals, recyclable reagents, iron and other metallics from slags, residues, sludges, dusts, spent pot linings and other metallurgical wastes; technical challenges relate to minor elements, handling, dewatering, toxicity, process engineering, product specifications and community/market acceptance Energy efficiencies in comminution and beneficiation Direct and indirect means to reduce the very high energy intensities currently associated with concentration of ores, through progressive efficiency improvements, alternative processing approaches, such as ore sorting and other forms of pre-concentration, and new technologies Capturing regional synergies Capturing those energy, emissions, waste and water savings already identified at Kwinana, and extending the industrial ecology approach to other resource processing intense areas Red mud utilisation A concerted industry response to pursue opportunities that utilise Bayer residue in building and construction products, metals recovery, soil conditioners and environmental services

5 Control of heavy metal and toxic dispersion Reducing and eliminating emissions or subsequent dispersion of heavy metals and hazardous substances, which originate in ore bodies and are then concentrated or distributed during processing Geo-polymers as Green Materials This new class of material represents an excellent, high volume opportunity to incorporate metallurgical wastes in low CO 2 alternatives to cement based products, with reduced need for quarrying and dredging of limestone and aggregates CO 2 disposal Capturing CO 2 generated in processing in novel sequestrants, including carbonate products, acid waste neutralisation, treatment by caustic residues, and local sequestration in bitterns and coal seams (in collaboration with proposed CO 2 CRC) Water resource stewardship Improved water efficiencies and reduced water impacts through optimisation of processing conditions within the overall water system; improved recoveries; links to salinity and soil quality, exploration of novel technologies, including dry processing Process driven reductions in tailings liabilities Reducing volume and potential toxicity of tailings, through process modifications and extraction of more mineral and energy value from ores (working closely with ACMER) Methodologies tailored to minerals and metals processing Application of eco-efficiency and cleaner production tools and methodologies, including appropriate performance measures and sustainability indicators, and sharing new best practices; a practical focus on cost reductions through improved efficiencies of reagents, energy, and consumables Sustainable Technology Roadmap Strategic analysis of scenarios and future solutions for a profitable minerals processing industry without waste and emissions, critical analysis of current state and the development of pathways to the desired future; systematic framework for evaluation of process technology options, current and conceptual flowsheets, minor element partitioning, bulk solids transfer within and between processes, and mine to product optimisation. For more information on Project Phoenix, please contact: Chairman, Bernard Wheelahan, ; wheelahans@bigpond.com Project Leader, Dr. Joe Herbertson, ; jherbert@mail.newcastle.edu.au AMIRA International, David Stribley, ; david.stribley@amira.com.au