Comminution circuit design has traditionally focused on reliability, ease of operation, CAPEX, and OPEX, with AG/SAG and ball mills the longstanding workhorses in mineral grinding applications. “AG/SAG mills played a crucial role in the evolution of mineral processing, as a single mill can replace two or three crushing changes,” explained Greg Lane, principal consultant at Ausenco, a global engineering consultancy. “These mills operate at high capacities while requiring a much smaller footprint than historic staged crushing plants.”
However, AG/SAG and ball mills consume significant energy when treating competent rock. Grinding ore for mineral liberation is the largest energy consumer and contributor to Scopes 2 and 3 CO2 emissions in minerals processing, with a typical comminution circuit accounting for nearly 40% of an open pit mine project’s total energy use. According to one study, gold and copper ore comminution alone may consume 0.2% of global energy.
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