Copper is very important metal in the building industry, as well as its use on the energy sector (Sverdrup et al. 2014). When studying the factors affecting copper prices, the five main factors can be named: Supply and demand factors, macroeconomic indicators, influence of related commodity prices, exchange rate fluctuations, and the impact of associated global market pricing (Li et al. 2024). The price evolution of copper and the reference periods for retrofits have been described in Fig. 11. Figure 11 – Copper price trend from 01.2019 to 02.2026, (LME). Fig. 11 illustrates the timelines for three different case study center launder retrofits. The orange line represents the Constancia retrofit (June 2019), the green line represents the Kennecott Copperton retrofit (August 2020 to April 2021), and the blue line shows the Bagdad retrofit (April 2021 to August 2021). The return on investment (ROI) for Constancia was six months, and for Bagdad, it was two months (Bermudez et al. 2021; Liu et al. 2022). This chart indicates that, with copper prices around $2.70 per pound, the ROI was relatively short, and with the current copper prices, the ROI would be even shorter, potentially just a few months. The dynamics of supply and demand are crucial in the copper market. The constrained growth in copper supply, coupled with increasing demand from the renewable energy and electric vehicle sectors, has forced prices upward. Macroeconomic indicators have also a significant role, as copper demand is closely linked to global economic conditions. Typically, economic growth results in higher demand and elevated prices, whereas economic downturns lead to reduced demand and lower prices. Furthermore, fluctuations in exchange rates and the prices of related commodities, especially crude oil, significantly influence copper prices due to their essential roles in industrial production and their often-correlated price movements (Li et al. 2024). 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Copper Price, US$/lb LME-Copper Grade A Cash (US$/lb) Constancia Kennecott Bagdad
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