Professor Robin J Batterham President Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

1
Sustainability in the minerals industry a
global perspective
Professor Robin J Batterham - President
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences
and Engineering Group Chief Scientist Rio
Tinto
CAETS 2009 Calgary 16 July 2009
2

• Can mining and minerals be truly sustainable
• Current best practice frameworks
• It is all about innovation, but increasing
  pressures, e.g. energy and water
• A key role for technology
• How to speed up the process

3
How can mining ever be sustainable? It is a
wasting resource?
4
Sustained demand from an increasing population

• Population increase plus world GDP growing from
  10,000/head in 2008 to 15,000/head in 2022
  equals extraordinary demand
• Recycling may eventually eliminate primary demand

5
The resource technology and environmental cycles
interlink
M. Reuter, Ausmelt - with permission
6
(No Transcript)
7

• Can mining and minerals be truly sustainable
• Current best practice frameworks
• It is all about innovation, but increasing
  pressures, e.g. energy and water
• A key role for technology
• How to speed up the process

8
For a mining company, what is sustainable
development? Development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own
needs Investment in long life mines and
businesses provides opportunities to plan,
implement and deliver contributions to social
well-being, environmental stewardship and
economic prosperity within a strong governance
system
9
Strategical approach
10
The vision evolves
11
One aspect on the people side
Common features of Rio Tinto agreements -
Acknowledge and Respect Culture
12

• Can mining and minerals be truly sustainable
• Current best practice frameworks
• It is all about innovation, but increasing
  pressures, e.g. energy and water
• A key role for technology
• How to speed up the process

13
Greenhouse gas emissions inventory
Rio Tintos 2008 energy use and greenhouse gas
emissions
14
Total greenhouse gas emissions target and
trajectory
Rio Tintos 2008 energy use and greenhouse gas
emissions
15
Rio Tinto and Water
16
Rio Tinto and Water
17

• Can mining and minerals be truly sustainable
• Current best practice frameworks
• It is all about innovation, but increasing
  pressures, e.g. energy and water
• A key role for technology
• How to speed up the process

18
Evolution of head grade
Source Brook Hunt
19
Effect of grade and recovery on energy for copper
production
Open pit Mining 3-5kWh/t oreMilling 15-24
kWh/t lt100mesh grind, flotation
Underground Mining 12-40 kWt/oreMilling
24-34 kWh/t lt200mesh grind, flotation
Source Douglas W. Fuerstenau Douglas W.
Fuerstenau, University of California, Berkeley
20
Larger and better
Development of cell size
Source Outotec quarterly newsletter, Issue 19,
December 2007
21
We have the chance to change our technologies
Comminution Opportunities

• Avoid Grinding Gangue Materials
• Selective Mining
• On Line Sorting Systems
• Improved Equipment Optimisation
• Control, Design
• HPGRs for Base Metals
• Alternative Breakage Systems
• Microwaves
• Electric Pulse
• Ultrasonics

Polysius HPGR Schematic Source Polysius
Copper Ore Post Microwave
Source HPGR Schematic Polysius
22

• Typically of technology changes, challenges
  remain

23
Leaching and SX-EW

• Well established for heaps
• Becoming standard for run of mine
• But in-place underground?

24

• Can mining and minerals be truly sustainable
• Current best practice frameworks
• It is all about innovation, but increasing
  pressures, e.g. energy and water
• A key role for technology
• How to speed up the process

25
Relative citation impact of science citation
index publications 1991-2005
Source FEAST Discussion paper 1/09 A
Bibliometric Analysis of Australias
International Research Collaboration in Science
and Technology Analytical Methods and Initial
Finding
26
In conclusion

• Energy and water are pressing challenges of
  sustainability
• There are already significant RD collaborations
  but even more is needed cross funding
  opportunities?
• And collaboration on large scale demonstration is
  urgent INAP and the GCCSI as models?

27
Catalysing an Energy Technology Revolution The
Role of Science

• Nobuo Tanaka
• Executive Director
• EGSE Meeting, 4 May 2009

28
Science for a clean energy future
Source IEA, Science for Energy (2006).
29
We Need Your Help

• We are facing an urgent challenge in the energy
  sector and we need a global solution
• We need a step change in government policies,
  with closer international collaboration
• A key area for collaboration is improving the
  linkages between science and energy research
• The EGSE is providing a platform for this

30
Extra slides
31
Rio Tinto Communities Model
32
Common features of Rio Tinto agreements
Employment and Training
33
Argyle Aboriginal employment
34
Madagascar people, bio-diversity and economics

• Complex coastal forest ecosystem becoming remnant
• QMM Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Earthwatch,
  Smithsonian Institute, Missouri Botanical
  Gardens, universities, national and regional
  governments plus local people
• Ecological Research Centre
• Understand traditional interaction of people,
  land and sea
• Conservation zones, plus restoration of degraded
  land, nursery supplying 170,000 trees/year
• Local benefit and global knowledge to apply
  elsewhere

35
Diavik Diamond Mines
From the initial stages of development planning
in the 1990s, the Diavik Diamond Mine in northern
Canada took a minimum impact approach. Engaging
with the community and seeking traditional
knowledge resulted in extensive understanding of
the local biodiversity and its importance to the
Aboriginal culture, values and socio-economic
well being
36
Minimise ecological footprint

• IOG (2002) RD program to optimise tailings
  management
• Existing system permitted and long standing but a
  very visible footprint
• In line flocculation developed to remove
  suspended colloidal material

37
Reverse osmosis treatment of groundwater
gt Groundwater monitoring programme at Kennecott
Utah Copper
Other approaches

• Biological enhanced sulphate reduction for ARD
• Nanoscale iron for in-situ remediation
• Monitored Natural Attenuation
• MNA with barriers

38
On the waterline
39
(No Transcript)
40
There is a range of worthwhile collaborations
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY
Launch of the GCCSI International
Architecture 16 April, Canberra Ambassador
Richard Jones Deputy Executive Director Internatio
nal Energy Agency