A comparative life cycle assessment of material handling systems for sustainable mining

Erkayaoğlu, Mustafa; Demirel, Nuray

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.03.011

Cited by 27 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The development of coal chemical cluster engaged in extraction and processing of raw materials will generate value-added chain in the Kuzbass, which may be a catalyst of process of economic diversification of the economy of the old coal region and individual industries of the Kemerovo region [8][9][10].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovative Production of Polyvinychloride on the Basis of Vertical Integration of Business and Cluster Organisation

2017

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Abstract. The paper presents the results of the research of the world and Russian market of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a comparative assessment is made and the similarities and differences of these segments at the present have been identified. The theoretical possibility of considerable prospects of the development of domestic production of PVC is justified, ensure that it can achieve import substitution and export substitution of this product in Russia. Based on the theory of value chains and cluster organization of the enterprises of coal and chemical industries, ferrous metallurgy and other enterprises of Kuzbass have been proposed new technological solutions for the production of PVC, taking into account regional features of naturalresource base and capacity of national and world markets. It is established that the organization of production of PVC, using coal chemistry technology can be a promising growth point for the business of the Kemerovo region, will help to diversify the coal industry, to expand its product structure and export potential of the region, increase its competitiveness.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovative Production of Polyvinychloride on the Basis of Vertical Integration of Business and Cluster Organisation

2017

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“…One company applying the open-pit mining method provided data based on planned operations for an eleven-year period (2014-2025), while the other company using the alluvial mining method provided operational data for six years (2012-2018) based on the mine's inventories. While the details of extraction techniques vary between mines, the selected mines are broadly representative of medium-scale mining practices in Colombia (Erkayaoğlu & Demirel, 2016).…”

Section: Inventory and Background Databasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life Cycle impacts assessment of two gold extraction systems in Colombia: Open-pit and alluvial mining

Cano

Capaz

Hasenstab

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Purpose Gold mining has historically and significantly contributed to the Colombian economy. Gold extraction in Colombia is mainly done through two techniques: open-pit and alluvial mining. In this study, the environmental impacts of both these mining systems were analyzed using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework, including identification of the system components that contribute most to impacts. Methods Inventory data were obtained for two medium-scale mines1 in Colombia, one representing the open pit method and the other the alluvial method. Environmental impacts were classified and characterized by mid-point impact categories and further aggregated into end-point indicators through the ReCiPe (v. 1.11) methodology, which uses a hierarchist perspective. Results Results for end-point indicators show that the open-pit mining presents higher values in the Human Health damage category, influenced primarily by tailings and by the excavation process. For the alluvial mining, the overall impacts were an order of magnitude lower, with Ecosystem Quality as the most significant contributor due to the stripping of soil and vegetation. In the case of mid-point indicators, freshwater and marine ecotoxicity contribute the most to open-pit mining, while for alluvial mining, metal depletion and natural land transformation contribute the most. Climate change is also a significant impact category for alluvial and open-pit mining. Conclusions The is a substantial difference in environmental impacts between the two mining systems: the quantified total environmental impact was 1.0 x 1004 points for the open-pit mine and 2.4 x 1003 points for the alluvial mine. Since these mines represent specific Colombian operational conditions, this conclusion cannot be confidently extended to other operational contexts while. For example, results in other cases may depend on the local geological features and natural environment conditions. Knowing the critical mining supply chain stages for environmental performance will allow the decision-makers to provide the tools for more sustainable extraction and production. 1 The Colombian mining classification lies on small, medium, and big scale based on the number of hectares granted in the mining concession: small (≤150 ha), medium (≥150 ha, ≤5000 ha), big (≥ 5000 ha, ≤10000) or according with the volume of the maximum annual mining production small (≤250000 m3/year), medium (≥250000 m3/year, ≤1300000 m3/year), big (1300000≥m3/year), and not on the number of workers (Código de Minas, Ley 685 DE 2001, 2001)

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“…In spite of its appeal, however, the application of LCA in the mining industry, especially in tailings management, is still a work in progress. Previous LCA studies in the literature have investigated the environmental impacts of alternative tailings management scenarios (Reid et al 2009;Song et al 2017;Adiansyah et al 2017), and compared the environmental performance of material handling systems in mining (Awuah-Offei et al 2009;Erkayaoğlu & Demirel 2016). However, a detailed analysis of the main inputs and outputs associated with tailings management at a mine site, and a systematic evaluation of the potential environmental impacts associated with them over all the stages of their life cycle have not been observed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life cycle assessment of tailings management options: a conceptual case study in Western Australia

Carneiro¹,

Fourie²

2019

Proceedings of the International Conference on Mine Closure

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The vast amount of waste produced by the mining industry, of which a large proportion is tailings, has the potential to cause numerous environmental problems, and represents a possible barrier to sustainability. Although the choice of a strategy for tailings management has historically been dictated primarily by technical and economic factors, the sustainability of the selected tailings disposal method is becoming increasingly important in decision-making. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been widely adopted as an environmental systems analysis tool and can be used for evaluating the environmental impacts of mining and mineral processing operations from a life cycle perspective. In spite of its appeal, however, the application of LCA in the mining industry, especially in tailings management is still a work in progress. Aimed at addressing this research gap, this paper reports on the results of a cradle-to-grave LCA study carried out to investigate the environmental profile of two different tailings management options. A conceptual case study for the disposal of gold tailings in Western Australia as a slurry, or as filtered tailings, was considered. The environmental impacts of each option were assessed, environmental hotspots were identified, and cleaner production measures were suggested to improve the overall environmental performance of tailings operations in Australia. In the context of mine waste management, this paper ends with a discussion addressing the benefits and challenges of applying LCA as an environmental decision-support tool, providing more information to the decision-making process and facilitating better communication with stakeholders.

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A comparative life cycle assessment of material handling systems for sustainable mining

Cited by 27 publications

References 14 publications

Innovative Production of Polyvinychloride on the Basis of Vertical Integration of Business and Cluster Organisation

Innovative Production of Polyvinychloride on the Basis of Vertical Integration of Business and Cluster Organisation

Life Cycle impacts assessment of two gold extraction systems in Colombia: Open-pit and alluvial mining

Life cycle assessment of tailings management options: a conceptual case study in Western Australia

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