Adapting to climate risks and extreme weather: guide for mining - minerals industry professionals

AbstractExtreme weather events in Australia over recent years have highlighted the costs for Australian mining and mineral processing operations of being under-prepared for adapting to climate risk. For example, the 2010/2011 Queensland floods closed or restricted production of about forty out of Queensland’s fifty coal mines costing more than $2 billion in lost production.Whilst mining and mineral professionals have experience with risk management and managing workplace health and safety, changes to patterns of extreme weather events and future climate impacts are unpredictable. Responding to these challenges requires planning and preparation for events that many people have never experienced before. With increasing investor and public concern for the impact of such events, this guide is aimed at assisting a wide range of mining and mineral industry professionals to incorporate planning and management of extreme weather events and impacts from climate change into pre-development, development and construction, mining and processing operations and post-mining phases. The guide should be read in conjunction with the research  final report which describes the research process for developing the guide and reflects on challenges and lessons for adaptation research from the project.The Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) led the development of the guide with input from the Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, University of Queensland and a Steering Committee from the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy’s Sustainability Committee and individual AusIMM members, who volunteered their time and experience. As the situation of every mining and mineral production operation is going to be different, this guide has been designed to provide general information about the nature of extreme weather events, and some specific examples of how unexpectedly severe flooding, storm, drought, high temperature and bushfire events have affected mining and mineral processing operations. A number of case studies used throughout the guide also illustrate the ways forward thinking operations have tackled dramatically changing climatic conditions.Each section of the guide outlines a range of direct and indirect impacts from a different type of extreme weather, and provides a starting point for identifying potential risks and adaptation options that can be applied in different situations. The impacts and adaptation sections provide guidance on putting the key steps into practice by detailing specific case examples of leading practice and how a risk management approach can be linked to adaptive planning. More information about specific aspects of extreme weather, planning and preparation for the risks presented by these events, and tools for undertaking climate related adaptation is provided in the ‘Additional Resources’ section

Assessment of waste to energy as a resource recovery intervention using system dynamics: A case study of New South Wales, Australia

Driven by an increasing population, affluence and economic activity, waste—an almost inevitable by-product of modern production and consumption—is being generated at a rate that is growing exponentially with time in Australia. Despite the global maturity of waste to energy technology as a waste valorisation process, it is yet to be applied at scale in Australia, which has traditionally relied on landfill disposal, and more recently recycling, for the management of waste. Recent policy frameworks implemented have enabled the uptake of waste to energy in parts of Australia to divert waste from landfill, while offsetting non-renewable energy sources in the transition to a low-carbon energy landscape. However, recent policy dictates that higher order waste valorisation processes such as re-use and recycling, must not be undermined by energy recovery processes. In this paper, we present initial findings from a system dynamics model, developed to assess interventions to improve resource recovery in a multi-stream (municipal, construction and commercial) waste system specific to New South Wales. The system under investigation is characterised by causal feedback processes between waste generation, valorisation processes, and waste management policies, making it ideal for study using a system dynamics approach, and offers benefits in terms of greater understanding of the system processes over more typical mechanistic approaches [1]. System dynamics modelling has been used in the study of sustainable waste management, and waste management planning (see [2], [3], and [4]), and has yet to be applied in the context of waste to energy in Australia. Using socioeconomic and waste management data as inputs, projected waste generation and recycling rates under reference conditions are compared to scenarios with waste to energy intervention, to estimate the potential of energy recovery in achieving local waste management targets. Several scenarios are modelled with variation in allowable feedstock criteria, fleet efficiency, and feedstock pre-treatment. Insights into the potential impacts of waste to energy on other valorisation processes are gained, and assessed against dynamic objective functions to determine an optimal waste to energy scenario. The modelling shows that waste to energy would have minimal perverse outcomes on other resource recovery efforts under current feedstock criteria. This innovative approach is demonstrated for the case of New South Wales, Australia\u27s largest state and biggest producer of waste. A new policy framework, the Energy From Waste Policy Statement, has recently been released, mandating allowable feedstock for energy recovery processes. New South Wales also has a set of targets specified in its Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery strategy, describing state-wide recovery targets across the waste stream. These targets are defined as the proportion of total waste generated used in a recovery process, and not sent to landfill. Waste to energy is such a process, envisioned as part of an integrated sustainable waste management system. However there are competing effects between waste to energy, materials recycling, and waste avoidance on the efficacy of the different intervention types in meeting recovery targets. Finding the tipping point, where waste to energy in a system can be optimised for reduced carbon emissions, waste volume reduction and landfill diversion for example, without sacrificing performance in other high-valued waste valorisation processes is valuable information for waste management planners, which the developed model addresses. References: [1] Forrester, J. (1969). Urban Dynamics, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts [2] Inghels, D. and Dullaert, W. (2011). \u27An analysis of household waste management policy using system dynamics modelling\u27, Waste Management & Research, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 351-370 [3] Sufian, M. and Bala, B. (2006). \u27Modelling of electrical energy recovery from urban solid waste system: The case of Dhaka city\u27, Renewable Energy, Vol. 31, No. 10, pp. 1573-1580 [4] Dyson, B. and Chang, N. (2005). \u27Forecasting municipal solid waste generation in a fast-growing urban region with system dynamics modeling\u27, Waste Management, Vol. 25, No. 7, pp. 669-67

Age of intelligent metering and big data - Hydroinformatics challenges and opportunities

We are at the dawn of a new era of widespread intelligent water metering delivering live consumption data to utilities and consumers in developed nations. As with most new technologies, intelligent metering will follow a type of hype cycle, where initial excitement and great expectation on its benefits is weighed down by disappointment and disillusionment from early adoptions and then strategic enlightenment will prevail and ultimately productive strategic implementation. Fortunately, the conservative nature of the water industry and the challenges of intelligent metering implementation have meant that the excitement never reached fever pitch and the sensible path to strategic enlightenment is being progressed, albeit very slowly. While the large multi-national metering and software companies have created a range of products and software systems for utilities to automatically collect, store and present reports on customer and citywide water consumption data, a plethora of informatics challenges urgently need to be addressed by researchers, engineers, planners and computer scientists to yield the numerous claimed urban water planning, engineering and management opportunities that can be extracted from this big data revolution. If the call to arms to address such challenges can be realised, significant opportunities will surface including water loss reductions, real-time design optimisation of water networks, live online water use tracking and billing, heightened customer satisfaction with the water utility sector, to name a few.Faculty of Science, Environment, Engineering and TechnologyFull Tex

Mineral futures discussion paper: Sustainability issues, challenges and opportunities.

Minerals and metals will continue to play an important role in underpinning the future prosperity of our society. However, to confront the challenge of sustainability, the way in which resources are currently used, and might usefully be used in future, merits serious and broad discussion. This paper explores the background issues relating to mineral futures as a first step in the three-year research program of the Mineral Futures Collaboration Cluster – a collaborative program between the Australian CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation); The University of Queensland; The University of Technology, Sydney; Curtin University of Technology; CQ University; and The Australian National University

Mineral-water-energy nexus: implications of localized production and consumption for industrial ecology

[21th International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS15)] 10-12 July 2015; Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront CampusUrban and remote areas are increasingly using decentralised systems for renewable energy productionand storage, as well as for water harvesting and recycling and to a lesser extent for productmanufacture via 3D printing. This paper asks two questions – how will these developments affect (i)the end-uses of minerals, including critical minerals and (ii) the implications for industrial ecologyand the development of a sound materials cycle society. We find a trade-off between using higherperformancecritical minerals in low concentrations which are complex to recycle, and unalloyed, standardised materials for increased effectiveness across multiple reuse cycles. Design andoperational challenges for managing decentralised infrastructure are also discussed as their uptakeapproaches a tipping point

Mineral-Water-Energy Nexus: Implications of Localized Production and Consumption for Industrial Ecology

Urban and remote areas are increasingly using decentralised systems for renewable energy production and storage, as well as for water harvesting and recycling and to a lesser extent for product manufacture via 3D printing. This paper asks two questions – how will these developments affect (i) the end-uses of minerals, including critical minerals and (ii) the implications for industrial ecology and the development of a sound materials cycle society. We find a trade-off between using higherperformance critical minerals in low concentrations which are complex to recycle, and unalloyed, standardised materials for increased effectiveness across multiple reuse cycles. Design and operational challenges for managing decentralised infrastructure are also discussed as their uptake approaches a tipping point

"Slowing" and "narrowing" the flow of metals for consumer goods: Evaluating opportunities and barriers

© 2018 by the authors. Metal resources are essential materials for many consumer products, including vehicles and a wide array of electrical and electronic goods. These metal resources often cause adverse social and environmental impacts from their extraction, supply and disposal, and it is therefore important to increase the sustainability of their production and use. A broad range of strategies and actions to improve the sustainability of resources are increasingly being discussed within the evolving concept of the circular economy. This paper uses this lens to evaluate the opportunities and barriers to improve the sustainability of metals in consumer products in Australia, with a focus on strategies that "slow" and "narrow" material flow loops. We have drawn on Allwood's characterisation of material efficiency strategies, as they have the potential to reduce the total demand for metals. These strategies target the distribution, sale, and use of products, which have received less research attention compared to the sustainability of mining, production, and recycling, yet it is vitally important for changing patterns of consumption in a circular economy. Specifically, we have considered the strategies of product longevity (life extension, intensity of use, repair, and resale), remanufacturing, component reuse, and using less material for the same product or service (digitisation, servicisation, and light-weighting). Within the Australian context, this paper identifies the strategies that have the greatest opportunity to increase material efficiency for metal-containing products (such as mobility, household appliances, and personal electronics), by evaluating current implementation of these strategies and identifying the material, economic, and social barriers to and opportunities for expanding these strategies. We find that many of these strategies have been successfully implemented for mobility, while applying these strategies to personal electronics remains the biggest challenge. Product longevity emerged as the strategy with the most significant opportunity for further implementation in Australia, as it is the most broadly applicable across product types and has significant potential for material efficiency benefits. The barriers to material efficiency strategies highlight the need for policies that broaden the focus beyond closing the loop to "slowing" and "narrowing" material loops

Circular Economy: Questions for Responsible Minerals, Additive Manufacturing and Recycling of Metals

The concept of the circular economy proposes new patterns of production, consumption and use, based on circular flows of resources. Under a scenario where there is a global shift towards the circular economy, this paper discusses the advent of two parallel and yet-to-be-connected trends for Australia, namely: (i) responsible minerals supply chains and (ii) additive manufacturing, also known as 3D production systems. Acknowledging the current context for waste management, the paper explores future interlinked questions which arise in the circular economy for responsible supply chains, additive manufacturing, and metals recycling. For example, where do mined and recycled resources fit in responsible supply chains as inputs to responsible production? What is required to ensure 3D production systems are resource efficient? How could more distributed models of production, enabled by additive manufacturing, change the geographical scale at which it is economic or desirable to close the loop? Examples are given to highlight the need for an integrated research agenda to address these questions and to foster Australian opportunities in the circular economy

Towards sustainable metal cycles: the case of copper

Developing an approach that delivers improved environmental performance for metal cycles is the aim of this thesis. Integral to the sustainable use of metals is the need to reduce environmental impacts associated with the mining, refining and recycling activities that supply metal to the economy. Currently, the links between the location and duration of these activities, their resultant impacts and the responsible parties are poorly characterised. Consequently, the changes to technology infrastructure and material flow patterns that are required to achieve sustainable metal cycles remain unclear to both industry and government actors. To address this problem, a holistic two-part methodology is developed. Firstly, a reference schema is developed to address the complexity of structuring analyses of the material chain at different geographical and time scales. The schema identifies actors and system variables at each scale of analysis and guides the level of information detail and performance indicators to be used in material chain characterisation. Material chain characterisation involves modelling material and energy flows for current activities as a series of connected nodes and linking these flows to resultant environmental impacts. The approach identifies the material chain activity responsible for each environmental impact and makes trade-offs between impacts explicit. Sensitivity analysis of the models identifies the key variables that enhance performance. The influence of actors over these variables is assessed to target areas for improvement. This first part of the methodology is illustrated using case studies that assess the current performance of copper material chain configurations at different geographical scales within the reference schema. The analysis of global material and energy flows indicates that the majority of environmental burden in the copper material chain is attributable to primary refining of metal from ore. Modelling of the dominant primary refining technologies using region-specific information for ore grade, technology mix and energy mix reveals that the total environmental impact differs by factors of 2–10 between world regions. The study of refined copper imports to Europe from various regions outside of Europe reveals that lower global warming impacts are achieved at the expense of increased local impacts from the producing regions. Overall, only limited improvements are possible without investing in new technology infrastructure. Evaluation of an innovative copper refining technology finds that collaboration with clean energy suppliers reduces global warming impacts more than changing process design parameters. To better assess the local impacts that are directly controllable by the technology operator, a new indicator incorporating the stability of solid waste is developed. In the second part of the methodology, the link established between actors, their control over key system variables and resultant impacts is used to design preferred future configurations for the material chain. Dynamic models are developed to evaluate transition paths towards preferred futures for individual and collaborative action by industry in the context of externally changing variables (for example, increasing demand for copper and declining available ore grades). Both new copper technology infrastructure and new material flow patterns are assessed in transitions toward preferred futures for a case study of the United States. The improvements resulting from the introduction of new primary refining technology by individual actors are negated by increasing impacts from declining copper ore grades over time. Achieving a combined reduction in local and global environmental impacts requires collaboration between industry actors to immediately increase the recycling of secondary scrap. Significantly, this methodology links actor decisions with their impacts across scales to prompt accountability for current performance and guide useful collaborations between actors. The methodology then delivers a comprehensive assessment of the scale and timing of required interventions to achieve more sustainable metal cycles

Minerals, metals and innovation in the circular economy

Factors underpinning current modes of production and consumption are changing. Ore grades are declining in Australia, requiring more energy for processing and creating more environmental impact. Both resource and energy constraints are driving the need for innovation focussed on doing 'more with less'. Geographies of production are also changing and this is opening up new opportunities for increased recycling in the circular economy - however these are yet to be systematically evaluated