Fortescue demonstrates effectiveness of world's first arsenic removal tech for copper

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Iron-ore major Fortescue has sold more than 40 t of copper concentrate cleaned using its new world-first arsenic removal technology, creating a solution for a complex problem facing the global copper industry.

The patented Toowong Process uses a low-temperature, low-pressure hydrometallurgical method to separate arsenic from copper concentrate.

Fortescue acquired the technology in 2022 and has been developing and testing it over the last four years at its Brisbane demonstration plant.

Across seven campaigns and more than 3 000 hours, the Toowong Process reduced arsenic levels in concentrates to below 0.3%, while also retaining more than 99.9% of the copper.

Arsenic has been a major barrier to unlocking new copper resources globally and its removal from copper ores has conventionally relied on roasting, an incredibly energy-intensive process. Roasting generates significant emissions, requires complex infrastructure and produces toxic water-soluble arsenic bearing gas and dust emissions that need to be controlled.

The Toowong Process is proving to be an economic alternative, with comparable capital and operating costs, improved output and reduced energy consumption and emissions.

The first 40 t of cleaned copper concentrate produced from Fortescue's Brisbane site contained less than 0.25% arsenic, reduced from feedstocks containing up to 7% of the contaminant.

This product has now been sold, demonstrating that the Toowong Process can produce marketable, commercially competitive copper concentrate from high-arsenic feedstocks.

"Technology and innovation are central to Fortescue's future growth. We look for problems others see as barriers and work out how to solve them.

"In the early days of iron-ore, Fortescue challenged the assumption that lower-grade deposits could not be developed competitively. The Toowong Process brings that same mindset to copper," says Fortescue growth and energy CEO Gus Pichot.

He adds that this technology has the potential to make high-arsenic deposits more economically viable, addressing major processing challenges and eliminating emissions at the same time.