Today CEEC International Ltd launched a video addressing the key issues related to comminution: why comminution deserves the attention of senior executives, the potential financial upside and ways in which alternative comminution strategies can alleviate issues such as rising energy prices, lower ore grades and increasing pressure on the social license to operate.

Based on the CEEC Smarter Companies infographic, the video runs for almost 3 minutes. “Senior mining industry executives are frequently time-poor, and need to use any opportunity, for example business travel, to review new material. CEEC developed this communication tool with that in mind: the brief was for a format which could be viewed in the back of a cab on the way to the airport. “Said Boucaut, CEEC Executive Officer. Further infographics are planned for 2014 including a Smarter Blasting report and a summary of the CEEC Roadmap. “Response to the Smarter Companies infographic has been excellent” said Boucaut. “Industry data is more typically presented following research formats and protocols so these message designs provide an eye catching layout for a serious subject.”

About CEEC CEEC is a not-for-profit company whose mission is to accelerate knowledge and technology transfer in the field of energy-efficient comminution (crushing and grinding). CEEC aims to raise awareness of beneficial alternative comminution strategies with the objective of improving earnings, achieving lower processing costs and gaining energy efficiencies in the mining sector. CEEC has the patronage of Owen Hegarty, of G-Resources Group Ltd. CEEC is the acronym for the Coalition for Eco Efficient Comminution. CEEC was established by a visionary group of mining industry leaders, who recognised the need to provide a platform for effective communication of the latest technical findings on efficient comminution practices. Extensive research and improved engineering design has established that a range of improved blasting, crushing and grinding techniques may lower project costs, and carbon footprint. These include relatively straight forward strategies such as: removing waste material before size reduction, a better combination of grinding technologies and targeting larger grind sizes where mineralogy allows.

The majority of existing comminution circuits feature tumbling mills, SAG/AG and ball mills. The nature of size reduction in such devices is ‘hit and miss’ leading to the generation of excessive mechanical energy and heat, so much so that less than 5% of the energy consumed by tumbling mills is used in size reduction. Even with the significant amount of research undertaken in this area, awareness in the industry of the significant impact of crushing and grinding on costs is low. The pace of technology transfer is slow as a result of the perceived risks. CEEC’s Board are confident that even a small increase in focused promotion of research results and some alternative comminution strategies would significantly accelerate the technology transfer and industry performance in this area.

CEEC is funded wholly by industry sponsorship from Anglo American, Barrick Gold, Gold Fields, Indophil Resources NL, Gekko Systems, Ausenco, Xstrata Technology, Outotec, Orica, Derrick Corporation, Metso, AMIRA International, JKTech, MMG, Weir Minerals and Russell Mineral Equipment.