started · updated
Fortescue completes first commercial sale of arsenic-free copper concentrate
Fortescue has completed its first commercial sale of copper concentrate treated with its proprietary Toowong Process, a technology designed to remove arsenic from ore. The company sold more than 40 tonnes of concentrate that had been reduced from arsenic levels of up to 7 per cent to less than 0.25 per cent.
Acquired from Glencore in 2022, the Toowong Process utilizes a low-temperature, low-pressure hydrometallurgical method. This approach serves as an energy-efficient alternative to traditional roasting, which is often energy-intensive and produces hazardous emissions. During testing, the process maintained a copper retention rate of over 99.9 per cent.
The technological breakthrough is intended to make high-arsenic copper deposits, which were previously considered economically unviable or unmarketable due to smelter penalties, commercially accessible. This development aligns with Fortescue’s strategic move into the copper market to support the global green energy transition.
Entities
Andrew Forrest · Fortescue · Glencore · Gus Pichot · Toowong Process
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The process reduced arsenic levels from up to 7 per cent in feedstock to less than 0.25 per cent in the concentrate. www.australianmining.com.au · reneweconomy.com.au
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The technology retains more than 99.9 per cent of the copper during the separation process. www.australianmining.com.au
- [● 2 SOURCES] The new method is intended to be a lower-energy alternative to conventional arsenic removal through roasting. www.australianmining.com.au · reneweconomy.com.au
- [● 2 SOURCES] Fortescue acquired the Toowong technology in 2022 from Glencore. www.australianmining.com.au · reneweconomy.com.au
- [● 3 SOURCES] Fortescue sold over 40 tonnes of copper concentrate treated with its proprietary arsenic-removal technology. www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.australianmining.com.au · reneweconomy.com.au
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Toowong Process uses a low-temperature, low-pressure hydrometallurgical method to separate arsenic from copper. www.australianmining.com.au · reneweconomy.com.au