Taseko Mines says its Florence Copper operation in Arizona has harvested the first copper cathodes from its recently completed commercial production facility.
Late February, Taseko announced the start-up of Florence Copper’s electrowinning plant and the commencement of copper production. Last week, the first copper cathodes were harvested, representing the first new copper production from a greenfield facility in the United States since 2008.
Once Florence Copper achieves its nameplate capacity of 85 MIb (38,555 t) of LME Grade A copper metal per year, Taseko will become the third largest copper cathode producer in America, it says. The operation is expected to produce a minimum of 1,500 MIb of copper over the next 22 years.
Stuart McDonald, President & CEO of Taseko, said: “The production of first copper in Arizona represents a landmark achievement for the Florence Copper team and a major milestone for Taseko, as we continue our journey to become a leading North American copper producer.”
Florence Copper is the first greenfield site globally to employ ISCR, a unique and low-cost method of producing copper metal which delivers compelling environmental advantages over conventional mining.
By using in-situ copper recovery (ISCR) and solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) processing, Florence Copper is projected to be among the lowest greenhouse gas intensity primary copper producers in North America, delivering environmentally responsible copper to North America manufacturers and consumers.
In the ISCR process, a low-pH solution is injected into a naturally fractured copper orebody via a series of injection wells, causing copper minerals to dissolve into solution prior to being pumped to surface through recovery wells. Hydraulic control of the solution is maintained through carefully managed pumping rates and verified with monitoring and compliance wells. At surface, the copper-bearing solution is processed through an SX/EW plant to produce copper metal on site, Taseko says.
Operations at Florence Copper do not require blasting, loading, hauling, crushing or conveying of mineralised material, resulting in 75% fewer GHG emissions, 65% less energy use and 78% less water consumed per pound of copper produced compared with conventional open-pit copper mines in Arizona, the company claims.
McDonald added: “Producing LME Grade A copper cathode for America’s manufacturing sector, including automotive, semiconductor, defence/aerospace and AI data centres, will meaningfully strengthen US manufacturing and supply chain security. All of the copper metal produced at Florence will remain in the United States to help address America’s growing reliance on copper imports at a time of burgeoning global demand.
“The journey to first production at Florence Copper – from envisioning a stand-alone ISCR operation, to undertaking the extensive test work and permitting, and ultimately completing construction on-time and on-budget – is a testament to the resourcefulness, purpose and commitment of the entire Taseko team.”
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