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The Atlantic Copper Chair

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The Atlantic Copper Chair is a collaboration between the Polytechnic University of Madrid and Atlantic Copper to promote advanced training in Metallic Mining, Metallurgy and Materials. The programme contributes to the development and consolidation of research and knowledge advancement in these fields and offers activities to students at the Higher Technical School of Mine and Energy Engineering of Madrid, SUMA students and any other students and researchers interested in the study of Metallic Mines, Metallurgy and Materials. Professor Dr. José Luis Tejera Oliver has been nominated as the University Chair Director.

Atlantic Copper is a Spanish Company whose sole shareholder is the US global conglomerate Freeport-McMoran, one of the leading natural resources companies in the United States that produces copper, gold and molybdenum. Their main base of activity is in the Huelva Metallurgy Complex, which produces high-grade refined copper from ore mined in several places around the world. The production plant is formed by the smelter (producing anodes), and the refinery (producing cathodes), and three sulfur acid plants.

Atlantic Copper Chair Awards,
Financial Aids and Internships

The programme provides students with a series of awards, financial aid and internship opportunities
to help assist in advancing the field of Metallic Mining, Metallurgy and Materials.

  • Atlantic Copper Annual Prize of Metallurgy – 1,500€ award for students who have finished their university degree and get the highest pass rates in the 5 subjects of Metallurgy, and are enrolled within Atlantic Copper University Chair training programme.
  • Final University Project Prize – 1,500€ award for the best final project about copper metallurgy.
  • Best doctoral thesis  – 1,500€ award for the best doctoral thesis about copper metallurgy.
  • Financial aids for studies and research papers about copper metallurgy – 1,000€ award for study or technical analysis about copper metallurgy and publication in specialised magazines or a presentation in national or international congresses.
  • Internships – 2 posts offered for internship with Atlantic Copper metallurgy plants in Huelva (only for UPM students).

Atlantic Copper Chair Lectures

Each academic year between October and March, the ACCHAIR organises 15 two-hour long conferences by international experts, covering extractive and recycling metallurgy and outlining the most recent scientific and technological innovations in the fields.

All the ACCHAIR conferences are available online to the students from all the Universities of the SUMA consortium.

ATLANTIC COPPER Chair Activities 2022-2023

Introduction by Bart Blanpain (KU Leuven)

Current trends in Metallic Mining industry and the Non ferrous Metallurgy by Mr. José Luis Tejera (UPM)

Copper market and Metal stock exchanges by Prof. Javier Targhetta (Atlantic Copper)

Innovation management in the metallurgical industry by Mr. Guillermo Ríos (Atlantic Copper)

Circular economy. ATLANTIC COPPER recycling project by Mr. José Miguel Quintana (Atlantic Copper)

Sustainable mineral raw materials by Mr. Vicente Gutiérrez Peinador (CONFEDEM)

The copper obtention. Decisions chain by Mr. Carlos Ortiz (Atlantic Copper)

Intrapreneurship by Ms . Laida San Sebastián (Mondragon University)

Energy Management in the metallurgical industry by Mr. José María Tejera (Atlantic Copper)

Digitalization by Mr. Sergio Muñoz y Mr. Adrián Fernández (FUTURESPACE)

Man and machine, walking together by Mr. Miguel Ángel Turrado (HP)

Production and Commercial Strategy of Sulphuric Acid as a by product in the metallurgical plants by Mrs. Conchita García Carvajal (Atlantic Copper)

Energy transition and sustainability by Mrs Esther Alonso Álvarez. (Atlantic Copper)

Circular Economy in Non ferrous metals metallurgy industry by Prof. Markus Reuter. (Technical University of Freiberg)

The sustainable development in the metals industry by Mrs. Rosa García
Piñeiro (ALCOA)

Current situation and future perspectives of traditional carbon materials versus new
forms of carbon by Mrs. Rosa Mª Menéndez López (Spanish National Research Council)

Processing of copper sulfide and oxidized ores in relation with metallurgical by Prof. Lev Filippov (Lorraine University)

Atlantic Copper Summer School

The Atlantic Copper Chair Summer School ran in July 2021. The course lasted one week, with 3 days of classes at UPM and three days of visits to the existing mine projects and metallurgical plants in the Spanish pyrite belt. Watch the summary video of the Alantic Copper Chair Summer School by clicking here.