CO₂ Emissions

Sustainable Transportation Solutions: Electric Vehicles

May 2, 2018 by

Cars and buses exponentially expand opportunities and represent personal freedoms for individuals worldwide. As new and improved technologies continue to evolve, one element is emerging as essential to our collective automotive future—copper!

Challenge:

An ever-increasing global population, coupled with limited nonrenewable resources, is leading to innovative solutions and technologies across a variety of industries. Meeting the transportation needs of future generations in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way requires an increased reliance on materials and natural resources that are durable, malleable and—in the case of electric cars—capable of providing superior electrical conductivity.

Solution:

Technology improvements and increased affordability are the drivers behind an anticipated surge in electric vehicle sales over the next decade, according to new research commissioned by the International Copper Association (ICA). 2016 saw two million electric vehicles globally. This number is projected to reach seven million by 2025. A key element in production, energy storage and charging infrastructure for these new vehicles is copper. While an internal combustion engine vehicle utilizes roughly 20 to 50 pounds, or 9 to 22.6 kilograms (kg) of copper, the number for a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or battery electric vehicle ranges from 85 to 180 pounds (38.5 to 81.6 kg). Not surprisingly, the number grows for buses. Add in the necessary charging infrastructure, and copper becomes a major component in the success of this newly invigorated technology.

Results:

While electric vehicles are not a new concept, their previous success was hindered by advances in internal combustion engine technology, mass production and relatively inexpensive gasoline prices. The Toyota Prius—introduced in Japan in 1997 and worldwide in 2000—helped reinvigorate the electric car market and was followed by Tesla, the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. Thanks to the commercial success of these vehicles, coupled with the ability of the copper industry to supply the material crucial to batteries, wiring, and charging infrastructure, continued and expansive growth is anticipated for the electric vehicle market.

Climate Change

January 2, 2018 by

Copper is at the core of the climate change battle.

The importance of copper’s role in decarbonization cannot be overstated. Some four million tonnes of copper are produced, recycled or converted into value-added products across Europe each year. Of course, these activities require energy. However, they also provide the building blocks on which to base industrialized economic recovery and the new technologies a low-carbon economy needs.

The European copper industry has developed strategies that trigger and support substantial carbon reductions in the downstream industrial, residential and service sectors.

By 2020, these strategies could deliver 130 million tonnes of CO₂ savings per year.

This amount would grow steadily, and by 2050, total EU CO₂ emissions could be reduced by 25% — more than 1,100 million tonnes per year — relative to 2011 levels.

The European copper industry has also developed and is advancing strategies to reduce its own carbon footprint. Through significant capital investments, the copper producing industry has successfully reduced its CO2 emissions by cutting its unit energy consumption by 60% versus 1990. Copper producers are united in their dedication to continuing this effort and will report on their progress.

For more information, download the report “Copper’s contribution to a low-carbon future – A plan to decarbonise Europe by 25 percent”.

Globally, similar investments in copper-based strategies could reduce the world’s carbon footprint by 16% by 2030. This means a 5.7 billion tonne reduction in CO₂ and a savings of $860 in energy costs each year.

Sparking Innovation To Combat Climate Change

January 2, 2018 by

A fundamental piece of our sustainable future is already powering nearly every aspect of our lives. From the batteries in our electronics to the air conditioners cooling us off in the summer to solar panels providing renewable energy, copper is the lifeblood of our modern lives.

Copper is also essential to the innovations needed to combat the environmental challenges we face today, including climate change.

We know we will need more of just about everything that runs on copper as the world progresses toward reducing poverty. As millions are elevated into the middle class, the demand for air conditioning, refrigeration, consumer electronics, transportation and other staples of modern life will continue to increase.

Copper is already an essential ingredient in our most innovative technologies such as smart energy technology, aquaculture, space exploration and electric cars, so it is important to recognize that a low-carbon future requires more copper. Copper’s role in electromobility, energy efficiency and renewable energy is growing. McKinsey has estimated a 43 percent potential increase in copper demand by 2035 vs. today’s demand of 22 million tonnes.

The world will need to prepare to meet these increasing demands without jeopardizing the environment.

Source: Copper Applications Technology Roadmap (January 2017)

How can copper help to limit global warming and contribute to a brighter future?

Copper drives energy efficiency. Reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services is the most cost-efficient, large-scale opportunity to reduce carbon emissions. Copper is the most efficient conductor of electricity and heating and cooling. Over their lifetimes, electrical systems containing one tonne of copper will emit between 100 and 7,500 fewer tonnes of CO₂.

It can be re-used over and over again. Copper is 100 percent recyclable and never loses any of its properties. Every year, 8.5 million tonnes of copper are recycled. It can be recycled into diverse uses and objects after everyday products like cables and wires reach the end of their life. In fact, over a third of the copper used in the past decade came from recycled sources.

It puts the green in “green tech.” Emerging green technologies can help us combat climate change and reduce air pollution. Copper is essential in improving the performance of green technologies. It is already the key to renewable energy resources such as wind and solar, and future efforts are dependent upon copper.

There is a stable and plentiful supply. Copper is abundant with 720 million tonnes in known reserves according to USGS (2017). It is also key for the recycling of numerous other minerals like silver, gold, and nickel. It is estimated that two-thirds of the 550 million tonnes of copper produced since 1900 are still in productive use (Glöser, 2013).

Source: McKinsey Global Institute. Beyond the Supercycle: How technology is reshaping resources. February 2017.

What is the copper industry doing to encourage innovation?The copper industry is conscious of both its responsibilities for sustainable production and the enormous opportunities offered by a more prosperous and low-carbon future. We are also keenly aware that we need to “walk the walk.”We are contributing to growth in communities. We recently completed a survey of 26 members representing 40 percent of world copper demand. These member organizations employ more than 300,000 people and are providing many local communities with schools, healthcare and water. Remote towns and communities that would otherwise vanish in the tsunami of urbanization depend on our members for their health and well-being. Our surveyed members invest $380 million in local communities each year.We are driving sustainable production that protects the environment. We understand that the production activities driving growth in communities need to be water wise and energy efficient to minimize our impact on the environment and ensure a safe workplace. Future generations will not just judge us on what we produce but also on what we preserve.In Europe, our members have reduced their energy consumption by 60 percent since 1990. Our members reported increasing their water recycling rate by nearly 70 percent over the past five years. Each year, our surveyed members invest more than $20 billion USD in improving the environmental and safety performance of their operations.

Back in 2013, our member company Codelco installed a thermosolar plant at its Gabriela Mistral mine to generate an average of 54,000MWh/y and provide 85 percent of the power needed for its SX-EW copper plant. The installation has reduced the mine’s CO₂ emissions by 15,000t/y. In 2017, Codelco promised to produce sustainable copper cathode over the next few years.
Rio Tinto, another global member, reduced its GHG emissions intensity by 20.3 percent from 2008 to 2015, exceeding its set 10 percent target. By the end of 2016, the company had reduced its GHG emissions intensity by 26 percent.

We are an industry that endorses accountability. This includes publishing all relevant sustainability data and adhering to Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and similar initiatives.

We are investing in our low-carbon future. The industry continues to invest in new innovations to discover new ways copper can be used to reduce energy use. We work with governments across the globe to promote Best Available Technology and introduce standards for energy efficiency together with the UN as part of United for Efficiency (U4E).

As industry leaders, we must work together with policy makers to ensure we contribute to innovations meeting the increased demand for clean water, food, low-carbon electricity and clean air while combatting climate change and protecting the environment.

Providing Heat To Urban Areas

December 18, 2017 by

Aurubis and enercity will be using industrial heat to power the Hamburg district of Hafencity East. This is the first time that an entire district will be almost completely supplied with industrial heat from industry.

The heat is extracted when sulphur dioxide gas is converted to sulphuric acid during copper smelting and this heat is nearly free of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Using this heat will save 20,000 t of CO₂ emissions per year, both through its use at Hafencity East and at the plant, where it will replace the natural gas used currently to produce steam. In Hafencity East alone, about 4,500 t of CO₂ will be saved every year by 2029.

The Hamburg Aurubis plant has three lines, each of which can provide 160 million kilowatt hours (kWh) annually. One line will be enough to supply Hafencity East and it is hoped that the other two lines can be converted in future.

CONTRIBUTING TO A SUSTAINABLE AND CLIMATE-FRIENDLY HEAT SUPPLY

This agreement is one of ten case examples in the project “Flagships of Energy-Efficient Industrial Heat Use” started by the German Energy Agency.

Aurubis is investing €17 million in converting the plant, including moving the heat pipeline to the plant boundary. Thirty percent of this money will be funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

enercity are responsible for collecting, securing and transporting the heat from the plant. They will build a new heat transport pipeline and a power station to balance the fluctuations in industrial heat volume. enercity will invest around €16 million, with approximately thirty percent being provided by the European Regional Development Fund.

Thanks to this project, Hamburg would become the first entire district to be almost completely supplied with industrial heat. Using all three lines could supply nearly 500 million kWh of heat and cut around 140,000 t of CO₂ each year.

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