AUSTRALIA – Everyone determined to save energy during mineral processing takes a long, hard look at the demands of the grinding circuit. To find and share such savings, the
CEEC (Coalition for Energy Efficiency in Comminution) is offering a recent case study titled “The link between operational practices and specific energy consumption in metal ore milling plants: Ontario experiences.”
The authors, Michelle Y. Levesque (formerly of Mirarco) and Dean L. Millar (of Laurentian University) shared their findings after a grinding circuit energy audit of one of
Vale’s processing plants. Unsurprisingly, they found that the most efficient use of electricity occurred when the mill operated at design capacity.
There are hefty savings to be had. Base metal mills in Ontario operated between 47% and 74% of design capacity in 2012. Underutilization is due to mine constraints, operational challenges, and market conditions. Potential energy saving of between 16% and 36% would be possible if all mills operated at 100% of design capacity.
The bottom line: Optimizing the operating schedule to boost mill throughput closer to 100% capacity will save money.
Please see
www.CEECtheFuture.org for more information and other ideas on saving energy.
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