Protection of the air

Table of contents

BATAs Program
Installation to remove arsenic and mercury from gases at the SOLINOX installation

KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. conducts its core business being aware of its responsibility for the environment, including for air quality. Many years of investments in this area are reflected in the reduction of air emissions that are critical for the Company’s operations, which is shown on the chart and descriptions below.

Dust emissions from mining production continue to decrease in spite of the growing output. This is made possible by a proper organisation of the mining process and replacement of mining machinery and equipment (with low-emission or electric machinery). Dust emissions from the ore enrichment process were effectively reduced in the 1980s. The current projects are aimed at sealing the process even further and reducing fugitive emissions. All these efforts led to a 73% decrease of dust emissions from mining production in 2022 as compared to 2010.

Dust generated during the metallurgical production of copper may contain metals and metal compounds. The consistent application of the Best Available Techniques (BAT) allowed KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. to reduce its dust emissions from electrolytic copper production by 88%. The main focus for reducing emissions to the environment, which started in the 1990s, was on the use of modern treatment technology for most organized emissions. The current projects are aimed at improving dust suppression techniques, further sealing of the processes and reducing fugitive emissions.

Besides copper, sulphur is one of the main ingredients of copper concentrates. The gaseous sulphur dioxide produced during the smelting of concentrates is converted to sulphuric acid in installations. KGHM is a pioneer in reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions: emission per tonne of copper produced has been reduced by about 78% compared with 2010.

BATAs Program

In June 2016, the European Commission issued an executive decision establishing BAT (Best Available Technology) guidelines for the non-ferrous metals industry. To address this need, KGHM launched the BATAs Program (“Program to adapt the technological installations of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. to the requirements of BAT Conclusions for the non-ferrous metals industry and to restrict emissions of arsenic”). New facilities were built and existing ones were modernised in the metallurgical plants. The Program was launched in 2017 and its completion is planned in 2023. The reduction of dust and gas emissions, including arsenic compounds, will be achieved through the installation of modern filters and further sealing of technological processes. Under the Program, by the end of 2022:

Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery:
Legnica Copper Smelter and Refinery:

an installation feeding milled de-leaded slag into the flash furnace at the Głogów II Copper Smelter and Refinery was built,
a warehouse and storage area for lead-bearing materials at the Głogów II Copper Smelter and Refinery was built,
a gas desulphurization installation from the Kaldo furnace at the Precious Metals Unit at the Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery was built,
bypass gas pipelines for flash furnaces at the Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery were constructed – the installations will ensure treatment of gases in the Sulphuric Acid Plant installations in case of a failure of the flash furnaces,
an installation for removal of dust from gases from flash furnace slag and copper outfall at the Głogów II Copper Smelter and Refinery was built,
a desulphurization and dust removal installation for technological gases from converters at the Głogów II Copper Smelter and Refinery was modernized.
the installation to remove mercury- and arsenic-containing dust from gases from the raw lead production furnace was upgraded,

the dust removal system for the bag filter of shaft furnace 1 and for cassette filters of shaft furnaces 2 and 3 was modernized,
stage 2 of the wet dust removal on the drying plant’s dust removal installation was built in order to reduce arsenic and mercury emissions,
installations to eliminate arsenic from gases above the TM-16 casting machines were designed and constructed,
a desulphurization and dust removal installation for gases from the granulation process was developed,
the installation to remove arsenic and mercury from gases at the Solinox installation was commissioned for the start-up.

Additional work is planned in 2023, including, among others:

completion of the development of a dust reduction unit at the P-21 concentrate unloading facility at the Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery,
completion of the start-up of the installation to remove arsenic and mercury from gases at the Solinox installation at the Legnica Copper Smelter and Refinery.

Results of investment projects completed by 2022 in KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. in the area of unit adaptation to meet the requirements of the BAT Conclusions for the non-ferrous metals industry.

	Task completion date
Name of task/initiative	Expected adaptation to BAT associated emission levels (BAT-AEL)	Parameters achieved (in guaranteed parameter tests)	Change in hourly arsenic in dust emissions
HML – Modernisation of the Psz.1 bag filter dedusting system and PSZ2 and Psz3 cassette filters in the Shaft Furnaces	BAT 39: Dust – 2-5 (mg/Nm³) As – 0.05 (mg/Nm³)	December 2019 Dust – below 1 (mg/Nm³), As – below 0.05 (mg/Nm³), average 0.02 (mg/Nm³)	Dust – decrease by 97% As – decrease by 84%
HML – Construction of 2nd-stage wet dedusting system on the dryer dedusting units to reduce As and Hg emissions down to the BAT Conclusion levels	BAT 38: Dust – 3-5 (mg/Nm³), As – 0,05 (mg/Nm³) BAT 11: Hg – 0,01 – 0,05 (mg/Nm³)	December 2020 Dust – below 1 (mg/Nm³), As – below 0.02 (mg/Nm3), average 0.01 (mg/Nm³) Hg – below 0.004 (mg/Nm³), average 0.002 (mg/Nm³)	As – decrease by 84%
HML – Design and construction of installation to eliminate arsenic from gases above the TM-16 casting machines	BAT 44: Dust – below 15 (mg/Nm³)	December 2020 Dust – below 2 (mg/Nm³), average 1.6 (mg/Nm³)	Dust – decrease by 68 % As – decrease by 75%
HMG – P-1 Sealing of conveyor belt tightening stations for carrying copper concentrate and ore blending warehouse	BAT 8 and BAT 25: Specify the required means of adaptation to prevent fugitive emissions from preliminary processing of natural, primary and secondary materials and their transport, or to reduce such emissions.	October 2019 Sealed conveyor systems were applied for transport and handling of dust generating concentrates, as well as fluxes and fine materials; mounting of roofs over conveyors for handling non-dust emitting solids (compliance with BAT8a, BAT8b, BAT25)
PG Installation of milled de-leaded slag feeding into flash furnace	BAT 54: Specifies methods to reduce the amount of copper production primary and secondary waste materials to be stored BAT 90: Specifies the required adaptation method to prevent fugitive emissions from pre-treatment of raw materials, primary and secondary materials or to reduce the emissions (for lead production).	December 2020 The installation enables air-sealed transport of the waste material, i.e. de-leaded slag, to flash furnace for metal recovery (compliance with BAT54). A pneumatic transport system applied for dust-generating materials (compliance with BAT90a).
P-31 Building a warehouse and storage area for lead-bearing materials	BAT 90 Specifies the required adaptation method to prevent fugitive emissions from pre-treatment of raw materials, primary and secondary materials or to reduce the emissions (for lead production).	March 2021 An enclosed feed preparation building was built and the Feed Preparation Yard was equipped with water showers and an enclosed leachate collection system to reduce dust from feed preparation operations for the Lead Production Facility.
P-30 Building a gas desulphurization installation from the Kaldo furnace at the Precious Metals Plant	BAT 140: Dust – 2-5 (mg/Nm³), BAT 142: SO₂ – 50-480 (mg/Nm³),	May 2021 Dust – average of 0.6 (mg/Nm³), SO₂ – below 470 (mg/Nm³),
P-22 Building an installation for removing dust from gases from flash furnace slag and copper outlets at the Głogów II Smelter	BAT 39: Dust – 2-5 (mg/Nm³) As – 0,007 (kg/h)	December 2021 Dust – average of 0.054 (mg/Nm³) As – average of 0.0019 (kg/h)	Dust – decrease by 88% As – decrease by 88%
P-23 Building an installation for removing dust from converter gases	BAT 39: Dust – 2-5 (mg/Nm³) As – 0,002 (kg/h)	December 2021 Dust – average of 0.067 (mg/Nm³) As – average of 0.00098 (kg/h)	Dust – decrease by 94% As – decrease by 92%
HML – Building a desulphurization and dust removal installation for gases from the granulation process	BAT 45: Dust – 2-5 (mg/Nm³) BAT 49: SO₂ – 50-480 (mg/Nm³),	June 2022 Dust – average of 3 (mg/Nm³) SO₂ – average of 380 (mg/Nm³),	Dust – decrease by 94% SO₂ – decrease by 98%
P-31 Modernisation of the installation reducing pollutants in air emissions of process gases from Dörschel furnaces – stage 2	BAT 11: Hg – 0.01-0.05 (mg/Nm³) BAT 96: Dust – 2-4 (mg/Nm³) As – 0.05 (mg/Nm³)	December 2022 Dust – below 1 (mg/Nm³), average 0.118 (mg/Nm³) As – below 0.01 (mg/Nm³), average 0.006 (mg/Nm³) Hg – below 0.001 (mg/Nm³), average 0.0005 (mg/Nm³)	Dust – decrease by 91% As – decrease by 98% Hg – decrease by 99%

As a result of the implementation of the BATAs program, the arsenic emission ratio from metallurgical production decreased by 77% in 2022 vs. 2018.

Arsenic emissions from metallurgical production in KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. in 2022, [g/t of electrolytic copper]

Installation to remove arsenic and mercury from gases at the SOLINOX installation

The aim of the project was to adapt arsenic and mercury emissions to the new, increasingly stringent European standards contained in the BAT (Best Available Techniques) conclusions for the non-ferrous metals industry. Innovative dedicated solutions have been designed. Two new gas treatment units were added to the SOLINOX plant. The first unit is used for arsenic removal and the second unit – for mercury removal. The target concentration of arsenic and mercury in process gases will decrease to 0.05 mg/Nm³.

The level of capital expenditure amounted to approximately PLN 115 million.

“Green Laurel” – National competition of the Polish Economic Chamber of Eco-development

The construction of the installation for arsenic and mercury removal from gas upstream of the SOLINOX plant was recognised by the Polish Economic Chamber of Eco-development in the nationwide “Green Laurel” competition for the implementation of environmentally friendly investments.

Circular economy

Management of chemical substances