Helping to reduce mining industry carbon emissions: A step-by-step guide to sizing and selection of energy efficient high pressure grinding rolls circuits

Comminution is a major contributor to the Mining Industry’s carbon footprint. As most of the world’s leading mining companies have formally committed themselves to having net zero scope 3 carbon emissions by at least 2050, the pressure to significantly improve comminution circuit energy efficiency over the next 25-30 years will be intense. High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) circuits have the potential to reduce the Mining Industry’s CO2 emissions by up to 34.5 megatonnes/year, or 43.5% when compared to the established Autogenous (AG)/Semi-Autogenous (SAG)/Ball mill circuit alternatives. However, uptake of HPGR technology has been relatively slow. This may be due in part to the fact that costly and time-consuming pilot testing is still the norm for assessing, selecting and sizing HPGR circuits. This is in contrast to AG/SAG/Ball mill circuits where relatively cheap, fast and effective power-based methodologies are used.