Linking mineral processing simulation with life cycle assessment (LCA) to forecast potential environmental impacts of small-scale mining technologies development
Résumé
The IMPaCT European project proposes a solution that develops a new switch on-switch off (SOSO) mining paradigm to improve the viability of critical metals and other small complex deposits. It aims at developing small-scale mining along with mobile and modular beneficiation plants. Risks associated with such approach concern geological uncertainty, metallurgical variability and social acceptance. Sustainability of the developed technologies is of critical importance in the framework of IMPaCT. Potential environmental impacts are evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA aims at quantifying exchanges between a system and the environment to translate them into impact indicators. Usually, LCA relies mainly on production data but in the case of new technologies development, often only experimental data are available. To deal with this gap, mineral processing simulation can provide consolidated and reliable data to forecast environmental impacts through LCA. The simulator-based USIM-PAC (R) software will assess the performance of a pilot plant commissioned for this project. The use of Monte Carlo algorithm regarding ore variability will allow evaluation of the effect upon metallurgical recovery and the generation of variable stream inputs/outputs for LCA. This work undertakes to link mineral processing simulation with LCA, resulting in comparisons between different mining strategies available for decision makers.