approximately 2,274 kg CO2e/h at 21.8 t/h of concentrate, corresponding to 104.3 kg CO2e/t of concentrate and 6.8 kg CO2e/t of ore feed. 4.4 Stage 4: Interpretation of the results Figure 2 illustrates the emission results by showing the contribution of each source—electricity consumption, wear, and reagent use—to the total emissions of the copper processing plant. It also expresses the results associated with each plant unit, namely grinding, beneficiation, and dewatering. It indicates that electricity was the dominant contributor to the overall GHG emissions in the evaluated copper concentrator case study. Its contribution was estimated to be approximately 72% (871 of the total 1,207 kg CO2e per Cu concentrate). This underscores the substantial impact that an inaccurate EF can have on results and emphasises the significant role of electricity in total GHG emissions. The figure also displays total emissions by plant unit and shows that the grinding unit has the greatest impact on the copper plant's total emissions, accounting for 72% of total emissions due to its significant electricity consumption. Understanding the details of the grinding units, e.g., material type, wear rate, etc. (from primary data), is crucial for further improving the LCA. Figure 3 shows the emissions results across all three case studies. Figure 2 – Copper case emissions results – distribution by a) source and by b) plant unit Figure 3 – Emissions results per case study (distribution by source) At the iron concentrator, electricity remains a key driver, though the absolute share is lower 216
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