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    Loop Hydrometallurgy copper flowsheet: design and economics lens for mine projects

    March 20, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Loop Hydrometallurgy copper flowsheet: design and economics lens for mine projects

    First reported on Australian Mining

    30 Second Briefing

    Loop Hydrometallurgy has unveiled a new copper processing technology aimed at replacing parts of conventional smelting–refining flowsheets with a hydrometallurgical route, targeting lower-temperature leaching and electrowinning rather than high-energy flash smelting. The process is designed to treat complex copper concentrates and potentially higher-arsenic feeds that challenge traditional smelters, using closed-loop reagent recovery to cut reagent consumption and waste volumes. For mine operators and project designers, this signals growing scope to permit smaller-footprint plants and reconsider concentrate transport versus on-site refining economics.

    Technical Brief

    • Loop Hydrometallurgy’s flowsheet is targeted at sulphide copper concentrates rather than oxide ores.
    • The company is pitching the process specifically for “complex” and “dirty” concentrates from new orebodies.
    • Technology is being positioned for junior and mid-tier miners lacking access to conventional smelter capacity.
    • Loop is marketing the process as modular, enabling staged capacity additions as mine output ramps.
    • The concept is framed around siting plants at or near mine sites to shorten concentrate logistics chains.
    • Developers are emphasising reduced stack emissions as a key permitting advantage versus traditional smelters.
    • Loop is currently engaging with potential partners to run site-specific testwork and pilot-scale trials.
    • For greenfield copper projects, the option could materially alter CAPEX/OPEX trade-offs between on-site and offshore refining.

    Our Take

    Copper is one of the more frequently tagged commodities in our mining database, and pairing it here with ‘Product’ and ‘Sustainability’ puts Loop Hydrometallurgy into the same innovation bucket as other low-impact processing technologies being trialled for base metals rather than just for gold or battery metals.

    Loop Hydrometallurgy’s Australia-based copper focus aligns with recent coverage of Austmine and other METS suppliers, suggesting this technology is likely being positioned not just for domestic mines but as an exportable processing solution into global copper jurisdictions via Australian METS channels.

    With Australian Mining also appearing across pieces on regulation, workforce and insurance, the platform’s repeated involvement signals that any Loop Hydrometallurgy copper process gaining traction could quickly shape operational norms and risk expectations for Australian copper projects rather than remaining a niche pilot.

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    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

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