Fortescue has sold its first commercial batch of copper concentrate cleaned using a world-first technology designed to tackle one of the industry’s most persistent challenges in processing copper.
Fortescue has sold more than 40 tonnes of copper concentrate following processing through the patented Toowong Process at the company’s Brisbane demonstration plant.
Acquired in 2022, the technology underwent four years of rigorous testing across seven campaigns totalling over 3,000 hours.
The hydrometallurgical method reduced arsenic levels in high-arsenic feedstocks from up to 7 per cent down to below 0.25 per cent, while retaining more than 99.9 per cent of the copper.
Arsenic has long acted as a significant barrier to developing new copper resources globally. Traditional removal methods rely heavily on energy-intensive roasting, which generates high emissions and toxic by-products.
In contrast, the low-temperature and low-pressure Toowong Process provides an economic, low-emission alternative that captures arsenic in a stable, solid form.
Fortescue Growth and Energy CEO Gus Pichot likened the breakthrough to the company’s early pioneering days in iron ore.
“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,” he said.
“This technology has the potential to make high-arsenic deposits more economically viable, addressing major processing challenges and eliminating emissions at the same time.”
Global copper demand is projected to soar by over 50 per cent by 2050, reaching at least 50 million tonnes annually.
As high-grade, clean ore bodies deplete, producers are increasingly forced to handle complex, high-impurity deposits. Previously, high arsenic levels rendered concentrates unmarketable or subjected to heavy smelter penalties.
The commercial sale proves the technology can transform unmarketable concentrate into a competitive product. Fortescue is now advancing commercial engineering and optimising the process to lower costs further.
Testing is also underway on concentrate from the company’s Cañariaco Copper Project in Peru, potentially unlocking significant value and enabling more flexible mine planning.
“The world needs more copper to build renewable energy projects and expand electricity networks and Fortescue’s innovations will be key to unlocking the resources that can meet that demand,” Pichot said.
“This is a technology that Fortescue will consider using itself as we explore copper deposits globally. It could also be hugely important for the industry and our peers more broadly as well.”
