Energy

 

KAZ Minerals seeks to reduce the impact of its activities on the environment and to raise environmental awareness amongst its employees, contractors and suppliers. The Group has an environmental policy which sets out its commitment to environmental protection, reduction of emissions and waste and efficient consumption of resources such as energy and water.

The Group conducts detailed environmental due diligence prior to the development of new mining projects and continually monitors the impact of its activities on the environment, publishing key performance indicators on an annual basis. The Health, Safety and Sustainability (‘HSS’) Committee is a Board committee which is responsible for oversight of the Group’s environmental policies, reporting, standards and compliance. Senior management are responsible for the Group’s overall environmental performance.

In 2022, the Group has restated its water intensity figures for the prior year to reflect water withdrawal per unit of sulphide ore processed. The updated presentation aligns the data with the Group’s target of reducing water intensity per unit of sulphide ore processed, and now excludes the volumes of oxide ore placed onto the leach pads at Aktogay. Additionally, for 2022 and 2021, the Group has presented its greenhouse gas emissions calculated using emissions factors in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

Energy use TJ/kt sulphide ore processed

2022	0.18
2021	0.19
2020	0.20
2019	0.20
2018	0.22
2017	0.24
2016	0.46
2015	0.86

In 2022, KAZ Minerals achieved a further improvement in the energy efficiency of its operations, measured as energy use per tonne of sulphide ore processed. Since the Group’s first full year of operations following the Restructuring in 2014, management has focused on improving long-term operational improvements to enable KAZ Minerals to produce copper as efficiently as possible. The Group’s operating portfolio is now dominated by the large scale, open pit mines at Aktogay and Bozshakol which benefit from significant economies of scale, with modern grinding and flotation technology employed at the concentrators, which drives further efficiency.During 2022, the Group operated above design capacity at the first sulphide concentrator at Aktogay, which achieved record throughput of 28.1 Mt, as well as both Bozshakol concentrators and the Bozymchak concentrator. In addition, the second Aktogay sulphide concentrator ramped up throughout the year, processing 22.3 Mt of ore. These operational achievements enabled the Group to achieve a historically low level of energy use per tonne of sulphide ore processed. Additionally, the Aktogay and Bozshakol mines benefit from a low strip ratio, with limited volumes of rock required to be removed per tonne of ore extracted, which also drives efficiency

 

ENERGY USE BY TYPE (PJ)

Energy intensity1	0.18	0.19
	2022	2021
Electricity	11.96	9.10
Diesel	2.70	2.36
Heat	1.12	1.02
Other	0.15	0.07
Total	15.93	12.55

1 TJ/kt sulphide ore processed.

During 2022 the Group used 15.93 PJ of energy from all sources, a 27% increase on the prior year (2021: 12.55 PJ). The increase in energy use was driven by a 31% increase in electricity usage as the Group’s concentrators processed 35% more ore than in 2021. In
addition, diesel usage rose by 14% in line with the 18% increase in ore mined in 2022 compared with 2021. As the Group’s open pit mines at Aktogay and Bozshakol deepen and widen, the Group expects diesel consumption to increase.
The energy intensity of the Group’s activities reduced to 0.18 TJ per kt of sulphide ore processed as the increase in energy usage was more than offset by higher throughput at the Group’s concentrators in 2022.

ENERGY USE BY ASSET (PJ)

Total	12.55	11.95
Energy intensity1	0.19	0.20
	2021	2020
Aktogay	4.68	4.35
Bozshakol	4.65	4.46
East Region	2.88	2.87
Bozymchak	0.34	0.27

1 TJ/kt sulphide ore processed.

During 2022, the Group operated above design capacity at the first sulphide concentrator at Aktogay, which achieved record throughput of 28.1 Mt, as well as both Bozshakol concentrators and the Bozymchak concentrator. In addition, the second Aktogay sulphide concentrator ramped up throughout the year, processing 22.3 Mt of ore. These operational achievements enabled the Group to achieve a historically low level of energy use per tonne of sulphide ore processed. Additionally, the Aktogay and Bozshakol mines benefit from a low strip ratio, with limited volumes of rock required to be removed per tonne of ore extracted, which also drives efficiency.

ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION (PJ)

Total	11.96	9.10
Electricity intensity1	0.14	0.14
	2022	2021
Aktogay	6.55	3.76
Bozshakol	3.73	3.63
East Region	1.53	1.55
Bozymchak	0.16	0.16

1 TJ/kt sulphide ore processed.

The Group’s electricity consumption rose by 31% to 11.96 PJ in 2022 (2021: 9.10 PJ), with the increase driven almost exclusively by Aktogay. The second sulphide concentrator at Aktogay was commissioned in October 2021, and during 2022 site management delivered
a world class ramp-up of the plant. This resulted in an 80% increase in ore throughput at Aktogay as a whole in 2022 compared with 2021 and led to a 74% increase in electricity consumed in the year.

DIESEL CONSUMPTION (PJ)

Total	2.70	2.36
Diesel intensity1	0.026	0.027
	2022	2021
Aktogay	1.20	0.92
Bozshakol	1.12	1.01
East Region	0.24	0.28
Bozymchak	0.14	0.15

1 TJ/kt ore mined.

Diesel consumption across the Group increased by 14% to 2.70 PJ (2021: 2.36 PJ). Diesel consumption at Aktogay increased by 30%, driven by a 27% increase in ore mined. At Bozshakol, diesel consumption increased by 11%, while ore mined increased by 5%. The residual difference reflects a 33% increase in waste stripping at the mine, which reflects the mining plan to expose multiple faces of the sulphide ore body for mining in future periods. Overall diesel intensity, measured as TJ of diesel per kt of ore mined, remained consistent with 2021.