Current situation and development of energy saving and waste reduction

The current situation and development of energy saving and waste reduction in copper smelting industry of China are reviewed. The copper smelting industry in China, mainly using such processes as Outotec Flash Smelting(50%), Top submerged Lance(25%),Oxygen Rich Bottom Blowing and Double Sides Blowing (25%), has been ranked globally advanced level in its scale, technology equipment, energy saving and pollution controlling and resource utilization. The process energy consumption in copper smelting industry of China is between 200～400 kg coal equivalent per ton of anode copper, with some enterprises being in the lead of the world. China’s copper smelting industry has some potential for the waste heat recoveries and energy saving in some processes. In regard to SO₂ emission, the sulfur collection efficiencies are between 98%～99.5% in China’s copper smelting industry. China has the potential for SO₂ emission reduction in copper smelting industry as a whole of less than 100 kt per year, although there is a certain gap when compared with the world’s advances level. In the future, the resource utilization and safe disposal of high arsenic materials, as well as heavy metals containing waste water treatment residues are important fields for waste reduction in copper smelting industry of China.