Copper plays a crucial role in modern economies, especially in the ongoing energy transition, supporting various technological advancements such as renewable energy systems and electrification. Chile holds a significant position in national and global supply chains as the top copper producer in the world. Nevertheless, the nation is confronted with major obstacles in terms of extreme water scarcity, especially in areas where the majority of copper mining operations are located. This dissertation assesses the environmental impacts linked to two different water management techniques in copper processing: utilising untreated seawater and treated seawater from desalination.
To accomplish this task, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was carried out using simulations from the Ecoinvent database in SimaPro software, with a specific focus on a hypothetic copper processing plant located in northern Chile. The research included an in-depth analysis of the literature to place importance on water management in mining activities and a review of current approaches for assessing environmental effects.
The findings on the comparison between the two water sources (seawater and desalinated water), reveal that the single score for seawater is more favourable than for desalinated water. The most significant impact category in both scenarios is resource use for minerals and metals. A second comparison, which excluded the copper concentration process, confirmed that seawater remained the better option, although the impact categories differed. For seawater, fossil fuel resource use became the most prominent, while for desalinated water, climate change was the key category due to its substantial contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. This study emphasises the importance of implementing new water management techniques in Chile's copper mining industry to promote sustainability, providing strategic suggestions to enhance resource efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.