Exploit Compressed-Air Savings While Preparing Copper Traceability contract

What happened

Process Online shows many Australian plants can reduce compressed-air energy use substantially through low‑capex measures such as leak repair, controls tuning and right‑sizing. The author quantifies typical plant-level opportunity and ties the business case to current commercial & industrial electricity tariffs, making this an operationally real and actionable MRO opportunity. Watch whether sites convert baseline audits into bundled maintenance contracts or simply replace compressors without addressing system losses

Why the category manager should care

Treat compressed-air as a category with both energy and MRO implications — fix leaks and controls first before approving replacement CAPEX

Key facts

• Typical energy reduction potential cited as 25–40% within 12 months with modest capital outlay
• Compressed air noted as ~10% of site electricity and up to 30% on air‑intensive lines
• Article used a representative commercial/industrial tariff of 27 per kWh for worked examples

What happened

BHP joined a demonstration project to trace greenhouse‑gas emissions for copper from mine to finished cable using a mass‑balance Chain of Custody model. The pilot involves smelting and cable processors to test whether low‑emission attributes can be tracked and passed to end users, which is operationally real but remains at demo/pilot scale. Watch if traceability requirements are requested in tenders or if suppliers begin to price certified copper as a distinct line item

Why the category manager should care

Prepare RFQs to accept traceable-copper options and insist on separable pricing for any low‑emission premium or certification

Key facts

• Pilot uses mass‑balance credit model aligned to ISO 22095:2020 Chain of Custody
• Involves Escondida‑sourced concentrate processed through Mitsubishi Materials and downstream
• Designed to show how reduced operational GHG at the mine can be reflected in finished cable p

What happened

An instrumentation feature uses an 'Age of Empires' analogy to show that skipping measurement and diagnostic foundations leads to costly operational failures. The piece highlights that devices without verification or health diagnostics generate misleading data that operators may ignore — an operational risk for any site relying on analytics or automated control. Watch for vendors that cannot demonstrate diagnostics or documented calibration cadences during supplier selection

Why the category manager should care

Treat instrumentation selection as lifecycle sourcing: require diagnostics, verification procedures and documented calibration support in bids

Key facts

• Argument framed around staged automation maturity and the need for measurement verification
• Notes that lack of diagnostics causes loss of operator trust and degraded control outcomes
• Emphasises structured progression for measurement, dosing and control to avoid operational fa