60643 20200221144230.0 doi 10.3390/resources5040036 sideral 98044 ART-2016-98044 eng Calvo, Guiomar Decreasing Ore Grades in Global Metallic Mining: A Theoretical Issue or a Global Reality? 2016 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Mining industry requires high amounts of energy to extract and process resources, including a variety of concentration and refining processes. Using energy consumption information, different sustainability issues can be addressed, such as the relationship with ore grade over the years, energy variations in electricity or fossil fuel use. A rigorous analysis and understanding of the energy intensity use in mining is the first step towards a more sustainable mining industry and, globally, better resource management. Numerous studies have focused on the energy consumption of mining projects, with analysis carried out primarily in one single country or one single region. This paper quantifies, on a global level, the relationship between ore grade and energy intensity. With the case of copper, the study has shown that the average copper ore grade is decreasing over time, while the energy consumption and the total material production in the mine increases. Analyzing only copper mines, the average ore grade has decreased approximately by 25% in just ten years. In that same period, the total energy consumption has increased at a higher rate than production (46% energy increase over 30% production increase). info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/ENE2014-59933-R This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No H2020 691287-MEDEAS info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/691287/EU/Guiding European Policy toward a low-carbon economy. Modelling Energy system Development under Environmental And Socioeconomic constraints/MEDEAS info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/ 0.679 2016 Nature and Landscape Conservation 2016 Q2 Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law 2016 Q2 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Mudd, Gavin (orcid)0000-0003-3330-1793 Valero, Alicia Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-0702-733X Valero, Antonio Universidad de Zaragoza 5004 590 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Ingeniería Mecánica Área Máquinas y Motores Térmi. 5, 4 (2016), 36 [14 pp.] Resources (Basel) Resources (Basel) 2079-9276 3689522 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/60643/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 109745 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/60643/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:60643 articulos driver 2020-02-21-13:18:55 ARTICLE