CEEC International Announces Winners of the 2023 CEEC Medal for Operations
CEEC International is delighted to announce the 2023 CEEC Medal for Operations has been awarded to Ivka-Anna Lovatt, Michael Becker, and Brian Putland from Orway Minerals Consultants, Reg Radford from Goldfields Australia, and John Robinson from AngloGold Ashanti Australia, for their outstanding paper, "Trade-Off Realities in HPGR vs. SAG Milling—A Practical Comparison of Tropicana and Gruyere Comminution Circuits."
Each year the CEEC Medal aims to celebrate and recognise the contribution that research and field work plays in improving energy-efficiency, water management, and emissions reductions globally.
The paper, presented at the SAG Conference held in Vancouver from September 24-28, 2023, offers a detailed and insightful comparison of two significant comminution circuits at the Tropicana and Gruyere gold mines in Western Australia. It highlights the practical trade-offs between High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) and Semi-Autogenous Grinding (SAG) milling technologies. By providing an operating benchmark, the authors illustrate the energy efficiency and relative costs of both circuits, adjusted to provide a relative comparison of the two flowsheets.
“We aimed to present the data objectively, with clear conclusions drawn to increase the reader’s confidence in comparing these technologies, removing cognitive bias, and aiding the implementation of low-emission circuits.” Said spokesperson and lead author, Ivka-Anna Lovatt from Orway Minerals Consultants.
The authors adopted the lens of the project developer, often sceptical in adopting the more energy-efficient HPGR-ball circuit in isolation of other pertinent variables. Their work considers not only energy efficiency but also aspects like operability, stability, availability, emissions, ramp-up period, operating costs, and CAPEX.
Commenting on the significance of their work, the authors stated, "We are honoured to be awarded the CEEC medal, as this recognises the widely collaborative paper as a meaningful contribution to sustainable mining practices. It also gives the paper a significantly larger platform to disseminate the findings further, hopefully aiding developers in rationally evaluating more energy and carbon efficient comminution circuit options"
Grant Ballantyne, Chair of the Medal Evaluation Committee, remarked, "We are thrilled to congratulate Ivka-Anna Lovatt, et al on winning the 2023 CEEC Medal for Operations. Their paper stood out among 35 strong nominations this year, showcasing exceptional analysis that contributes significantly to sustainable mining practices. This recognition not only honours their hard work but also underscores the importance of eco-efficient strategies in the industry."
CEEC International extends sincere congratulations to the authors for their significant contribution to the field of mineral processing and sustainable mining practices.
For more information about the CEEC Medal and the award-winning paper, please visit CEEC International's website: www.ceecthefuture.org.