Approximately 45 million tonnes of material are mined from the Asarel mine on an annual basis outof which up to 15 million tonnes is copper ore. We supply about half of Bulgaria’s copper flotation concentrate and serve as a paragon for the circular economy since we also produce pure copper cathodes from copper pregnant solutions through a Solvent Extraction and Electrowinning Plant.
The results we achieve in this era of new mining technologies would have been unthinkable when we began our journey over half a century ago. Today, we successfully process copper ores with a low average copper grade of 0.27%, achieving recovery rates exceeding 92%. This stands out as one of the global mining industry’s best examples of technological efficiency and mineral resource utilization. We recognize the vital importance of copper, which is a key base metal to the green economy, digital transformation and modern life and the responsibilities entailed by global sustainable development goals; consequently, we invest in innovations and future-oriented mining technologies.
We mine the ore by an open-pit method at the Asarel mine, where an automated system monitors slope stability and safety. Drilling, blasting and loading and hauling operations are conducted with mining equipment from leading global manufacturers, while process management is overseen by an automated dispatch system. Crucial to reducing our carbon footprint are the cyclic-flow technology lines for ore and waste transport which is the first of their kind in Bulgarian mining and significantly shorten haulage distances. The volume of gangue rock, known as waste, exceeds that of the ore itself by more than twofold, and its extraction significantly impacts our production costs. Ore processing takes place at the Asarel concentrator plant where the ore undergoes various stages of comminution and copper is extracted via flotation.
The technological process is managed from a central dispatch control room using an automated system for precise process control and management. The copper flotation concentrate, containing approximately 22% Cu, is directed to smelters for further processing. In addition, by using Finnish technology at our Solvent Extraction and Electrowinning Plant we produce high-purity copper cathodes with a 99.99% Cu grade.
Geological exploration, mine planning, maintenance operations, electric power supply and efficiency systems, engineering and technological development, laboratory services, mine waste management, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, procurement and construction and financial, economic and administrative activities—all these processes form part of the technological flow and the work performed by the company's staff.
