Ely, Minn., July 6, 2023 – A life cycle assessment report was recently published on the Twin Metals Minnesota project in comparison to global averages for copper and nickel concentrate production. The report confirms that Twin Metals will be a low-carbon producer of the critical minerals needed in the fight against climate change.

Life cycle assessment findings

The analysis, conducted by Minviro ltd, found that the carbon impact of Twin Metals’ copper and nickel concentrates will be 70 and 80 percent lower than the global average respectively, due in large part to the company’s plans to use renewable energy, incorporate an electric fleet and employ additional efficiency measures.

The report states, “We conclude that the carbon footprint of Twin Metals Minnesota’s copper and nickel in concentrate products are very low and therefore can be the product of choice for carbon sensitive customers and value chains.”

“This life cycle assessment report reflects our commitment to the fight against climate change by both delivering the raw materials needed for our clean energy future and by using the most innovative technologies to reduce the impacts of our own operations,” said Dean DeBeltz, Vice President, External Affairs and Project Operations. 

From the report and available public emissions data on global mining operations, Twin Metals concludes that its mine can produce copper and nickel concentrates with a lower carbon footprint compared to the majority of mining operations in North America.

A life cycle assessment is a methodology for quantifying environmental impacts associated with a process, project or operation. This is done by evaluating the embodied impact of material and energy flows as well as emissions outputs for producing a product, such as copper and nickel concentrates.

Minviro has conducted life cycle assessments for a variety of companies interested in improving the sustainability of the mineral supply chain, including both mining projects and end users like Tesla.

View the full life cycle assessment report on Twin Metals here.

The Twin Metals project, future plans to become carbon neutral

In addition to producing low-carbon critical minerals concentrates, the Twin Metals project will be an underground mine, meaning that its surface impact will be one-fifth the size of a traditional open pit mine of similar production capacity.

With future plans to pursue carbon sequestration on site within the mine’s tailings, the project is on track to become carbon neutral.^[1]

Clean energy technologies are incredibly mineral intensive. An electric vehicle requires six times more minerals than a standard car. A single wind turbine can contain up to five tons of copper. The shift to a clean energy future that deploys these types of technologies is driving a huge increase in the requirements for low-carbon critical minerals like the ones Twin Metals will produce. Twin Metals’ mineral deposit contains enough nickel to produce 87 million electric vehicles.

“A greener future requires mining, and it also requires that we mine in the least impactful way possible,” said DeBeltz. “This life cycle assessment demonstrates that Twin Metals has – for more than a decade – focused on environmentally-informed decision making in order to put forward the most sustainable project possible.”

The Twin Metals project has been named on the top 10 copper and nickel projects globally based on the size of the mineral deposit.

About Twin Metals Minnesota

Twin Metals Minnesota is a Minnesota company focused on designing, constructing and operating an underground copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals mining project in northeast Minnesota. The Twin Metals project brings the promise of significant long-term jobs and environmentally responsible economic development for generations in Minnesota. Twin Metals is owned by Antofagasta plc, one of the top ten copper producers in the world. For more information, visit www.twin-metals.com.

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[1] https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/utilization-of-copper-nickel-sulfide-mine-tailings-for-co2-seque/20094282