Estimation of CO2-Equivalent Emission under the Copper Fire Refining Process

Non-ferrous metallurgy is one of the most energy-consuming and carbon-emissive sectors of industry. This is due to the fact that the volume of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is stipulated by energy consumption. Uralelectromed is a city-forming enterprise of the Verkhnyaya Pyshma. The situation is similar other cities of the old industrial regions of the Russian Federation (Krasnouralsk, Verkhnaya Salda, Karabash, etc.) Verkhnyaya Pyshma has many characteristics of "a clever city". It can be compared to Hamburg where blister copper is being produced at the center of the city at a copper smelting plant Aurubis. Following the example of such ecologically clean country as Germany and in order to assess how modern energy-efficient low-carbon technologies can provide a favorable habitat, and an acceptable level of carbon footprint, the authors estimated the level of greenhouse gas, i.e., carbon dioxide emission produced by the Uralelectromed. The emission of greenhouse gas -carbon dioxide in the process of fire refining of blister copper has been calculated. The anode melting process consists of several stages where the most important ones are melting of charge, oxidation, and copper melt reduction. Calculations are based on taking into account the mass of burnt carbon of natural gas and the thermal dissociation of fuel oil. It implies that a complete combustion of carbon takes place. The specific value of carbon dioxide emission of the copper refining process is averaged 181 kg CO₂ per 1 ton of anode copper.