Constructing a life cycle inventory of Spodumene concentrate production: Greenbushes case, Western Australia

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a data-intensive method widely used by academics and professionals to facilitate environmental decision-making and policy formulation. However, LCA's effectiveness can be compromised by the lack of high-quality data and significant data gaps in the life cycle inventory such as for the LCA model of lithium extraction in the mining industry. While lithium has become the focal point in the clean energy transition, oversimplified models and approximations from other sectors have diminished the quality of input and output data. This research aims to model the mining and processing operations in the world's largest lithium mine in Greenbushes, Australia, by utilising first-hand data and production statistics to increase the accuracy and transparency for stakeholders. The results demonstrate a 36.8% and 30.6% reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide monohydrate production, respectively, using this study's modelled Spodumene concentrate compared to previous studies for lithium compound production. Additionally, the study reveals that improved grinding technologies in the newer plant (CGP2) of Greenbushes have reduced the overall global warming potential impact category of Spodumene production by 17.3% using high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR). It is crucial to note that the highest contributor to the carbon footprint in the processing plant is electricity usage, while in mining operations, blasting is the primary contributor.