The Hukki energy principle is that as the target size of a milled and ground mineral particle reduces in size, the energy input needed to produce it rises exponentially.
Simon Michaux says that over the course of the last 25 years or so the reduction in copper ore quality has seen target particle size reduce from 150 microns to in some cases as little as 10 microns, with a consequent increase in energy input needed.
The particle size that needs to be achieved is a function of the amount of metal in its ore, in order that the milled and ground ore can be put through a flotation process which causes the copper particles to float to the top, where it can be concentrated to something like 25%, so that it can then be smelted.
Over the course of the last 25 years the amount of metal there has typically needed to be in mined ore in order for it to be economically viable to process has gone from around 2 to 3% to as little as 0.1%.
But the increase in energy needed to support this trajectory is only itself viable with energy sources as dense as fossil fuels.
So we are heading into a #climateCrisis future where…
ore quality is heading downwards (the easiest stuff got extracted first)
which means the energy to process it is heading up exponentially (Hukki)
at the same time as the “electrify everything” clarion call is creating ballooning demand
in order to support a transition to *less* energy dense renewables
while decline in oil field productivity is accelerating.
Our reality check awaits. Wonder if our media will help open our eyes and ears?
