Copper Connects at the 2022 Winter Olympics

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After 16 days, the Olympic flame was slowly extinguished on 20 February 2022 at Beijing’s National Stadium to mark the closing ceremony of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games. While global athletes won praise at the podium, copper technology was working behind the scenes to provide safe and sustainable Olympic venues powered by clean energy and to help bring the Olympics to homes across the world through 5G broadcasting technology. International Copper Association (ICA) member KGHM also supported Olympic athletes in the lead-up to the games through its “Copper Rivalries” sponsorship program. Whether on or off the podium, copper played an essential role in the 2022 XXIV Olympic Winter Games.

Olympic Stadiums and Venues Constructed with Copper

In the construction of the stadium and venues for the Winter Olympics, Jiangxi Copper Co., Ltd., (“Jiangxi Copper”) contributed as an upstream supplier. Zhejiang Ship Group Co., Ltd., was the provider of structured cable systems and services, including data cables, fiber cables, modules and jumpers for a dozen key venues, such as the National Stadium, the National Speed Skating Oval and the Olympic Village. Jiangxi Copper supplied more than 80 percent of the main material for cables used by the Ship Group.

Providing Clean Energy to Power the Games

The National Wind-Solar Storage and Transportation Demonstration Project located in Bashang Area of Zhangjiakou is home to many massive windmills. Each 100-meter-tall (328 ft) tower supports three blades that are 62 meters (203 ft) long. Beneath these windmills, rows of PV panels operate day and night to generate electricity, which was distributed via the state grids to power the Winter Olympics venues.

Copper is a basic material in the support of the clean energy transition. It plays a vital role in creating a greener future, as renewable energy systems can use up to 12 times more copper than traditional systems. Every year, newly implemented wind power facilities use 550,000 tonnes of copper. As a 100 percent recyclable material, it is also a sustainable choice and contributes to the circular economy.

At a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated that 26 venues in the three main competition zones were 100 percent powered by green energy—the first time ever in Olympic history. A key portion of the green power was generated from the wind projects in Zhangbei and solar projects in Bashang.

5G Olympics: Copper Technology Makes 5G Broadcast Possible

The “Beijing Winter Olympics has set new records in terms of broadcasting hours, digital media performance and online live-streaming performance,” said Timo Lumme, Managing Director of IOC Television Marketing Services (TMS), at a press conference titled “Broadcasting and Media Data.”

Assisted by 5G and cloud broadcasting technologies, the core systems of the Beijing Olympics were “100 percent cloud based,” a new achievement in the history of the Olympic Games. China Unicom provided a 5G network with an average 200M bandwidth with 300M bandwidth in some indoor venues. From the National Alpine Skiing Centre and Big Air Shougang to the Ice Cube Skating venue, global audiences were able to enjoy live streams of the Olympic events as a result of the 5G technologies, including opportunities to have immersive, birds-eye view coverage of the sporting events. Printed circuit boards (PCB) and their copper-clad laminate (CCL) are essential components to the development and operation of 5G technologies. Copper’s high-conductivity, corrosion resistance and recyclability make it the material of choice in these applications. 

ICA Member KGHM Sponsors Olympic Athletes

There would be no Olympic games without the exceptional performance and dedication of its athletes. ICA member KGHM has a long history of supporting athletes, and the 2022 Winter Games was no different. KGHM sponsored several of Poland’s national athletes, including alpine skier Maryny Gąsienicy-Daniel who competed in the Women’s Super-G, Women’s Giant Slalom and the Mixed Team Parallel events. She finished in the top ten in the last two events. KGHM also supported speed skater Natalia Czerwonka who competed in the Women’s 1500m and Women’s Team Pursuit events, where she finished 8th.

Through its “Copper Rivalries” program launched in 2019, KGHM has provided financial support to top athletes in conjunction with the Polish Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport. Each year, more than 20 athletes receive sponsorship from KGHM, including Olympians from the Summer Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. KGHM is also committed to strengthening winter sports, sponsoring the 46th Piast Race, a cross-country skiing festival with over 5,000 competitors from 21 countries that takes place after the Olympic games. In addition, the company has developed numerous youth sports programs, including the Zagłębie Lubin Football academy, which trains nearly 400 junior athletes every day and has had notable sporting success in junior leagues.

Bronze Medal Tallies  

The medals’ ceremony is an iconic Olympic moment. Copper’s most prominent role at the Winter Olympics was the bronze medal itself, which is made of 95 percent copper. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Norway took home the highest number of medals overall and the most gold medals, but both Canada and the Russian Olympic Committee were able to eclipse the Norwegian bronze medal tally (13 bronze medals), taking home 14 bronze medals each.

The global inspiration, messages of unity and peace, and progression of sport that the Olympics provide have captured the imagination of people across the world for centuries. ICA and its members are proud of copper’s contributions to the Olympic story, helping to bring the world together, sustainably.

Electrical Safety

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Time for Action

The inspection of electrical installations should be a priority in the EU, considering that 30 percent of all domestic fires and 50 percent of all domestic accidental fires have an electrical source. Considering that vulnerable communities, including citizens suffering from energy poverty, are more sensitive to electrical safety concerns, it is crucial to improve electrical safety in domestic buildings. Only a few Member States have an electrical inspection regime and safety checks in place. While recommended by the Commission recommendations on building renovation and by the European Parliament’s Implementation Report on the Implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, only a few Member States have included this aspect into their Long-Term Renovation Strategies.

 

Learn more about electrical installations and the just transition.

Efficient in-building electrical installations can save 1% of the electricity generated in the EU

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Economic sizing of in-building electrical installations

Two percent of the electricity generated in the EU (64 TWh/year) is lost in behind-the-meter networks   and roughly half of it could be avoided by optimising electrical installations in buildings. The inclusion of electrical installations in the definition of Technical Building Systems (TBS) and pointing to the relevant economic optimisation standards for their dimensioning can save one percent of electricity generated in the EU.

Learn more about the role of electrical installations in decarbonised buildings.

Copper Recycling

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The Importance of Recycling

During the past decade, strong growth in emerging economies, coupled with an increased use of copper for innovative and clean energy technologies, has led to significantly higher copper demand. The recovery and recycling of copper helps to satisfy this demand and to build a sustainable future for people and the planet.

Copper is 100% Recyclable

Copper is one of the few materials that can be recycled repeatedly without any loss of performance. There is also no difference in the quality of recycled copper (secondary production) and mined copper (primary production), thus they can be used interchangeably.

Recycling Reduces CO2 Emissions and Energy Use

Recycling copper is a highly eco-efficient way of reintroducing a valuable material back into the economy. The recycling of copper requires less energy than primary production and reduces CO2 emissions.

In addition to its environmental benefits, the recycling of complex copper scrap, such as electronic waste, drives the recovery of many other metals such as gold, silver, nickel, tin, lead and zinc.

Copper in Use

It is estimated that in the last one hundred years, two-thirds of the 690 million tonnes of copper produced are still in productive use. Nearly 70 percent of worldwide copper produced is used for electrical/conductivity applications and communications.

Copper has the highest electrical conductivity of any metal, apart from silver. This property makes copper the material of choice in power generation and transmission (44 percent of use)—delivering electricity safely and efficiently to homes and businesses.

Electrical equipment—providing circuitry, wiring and contacts for appliances and consumer electronics—accounts for 14 percent of copper usage.

The remaining 12 percent is used by the transport sector. The high purity copper wire harness system in a train, car or truck carries the current from the battery throughout the vehicle to equipment such as lights, central locking, on-board computers and satellite navigation systems.

Another 20 percent of all the copper produced is used in buildings—for plumbing, cooling, roofing and cladding. Copper provides light, durable maintenance-free structures that are naturally good looking, long lasting and fully recyclable.

The remaining 10 percent is used for coins, sculptures, jewelry, musical instruments, cookware and other consumer goods.

This enormous stock of copper, contained in its diverse range of end uses and equivalent to around 33 years of mine production, is often referred to as society’s “urban mine.”

Copper, the Recycling Champion

Currently, a total of around 8.7 million tonnes of copper per year come from the recycling of “old” scrap (copper contained in end-of-life products) and “new” scrap (generated during production and downstream manufacturing processes). The figure below shows how recycling is a core part of the overall copper value chain.

Summary

Copper is one of the few materials that can be recycled repeatedly without any loss of performance. As well as helping to satusfy the annual demand for copper, recycling conserves valuable natural resources, saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions.

Copper recycling contributes to a progressive move toward a more circular economy. However, the loop cannot be completely closed for two reasons. First, demand will continue to increase due to population growth, product innovation and economic development. Second, in most applications, copper stays in use for decades before being ready to recycle and use again. Consequently, the growing demand for copper will require a combination of raw materials coming from mines (primary copper), as well as from recycled materials (secondary copper). During the last decade about 32 percent of annual copper use came from recycled sources.

Sitting at end of the recycling value chain, the copper industry plays a crucial role by “closing the loop” and is constantly investing and innovating to ensure the circular management of metals. However, it is more difficult to collect and reprocess increasingly complex materials containing copper such as electronic scrap. Therefore, endeavors supporting recycling can be implemented in new product design to facilitate end of life recovery and the industrial recycling processes to increase overall yields. In addition, regulatory policies must continue to encourage recovery and recycling, both at the industry level and by the individual citizen.

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Responsible Copper: #SocialResponsibility Infographic

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ICA members strive to keep operations safe while empowering local communities.

From setting up learning centers for Indigenous women to increasing water availability for local Chilean communities, ICA members are committed to investing in social responsibility.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about global and local efforts to support community health, education and safety.

For more information on innovative mining solutions, take a step into the modern mine.