Capital Cost per Tonne Calculator
Capital cost per tonne (capital intensity) spreads a project's total capital cost across the tonnes it is expected to move or produce, giving a quick benchmark for comparing deposits and mining methods.
Enter Values
Before you rely on this: First-pass guide only. Verify safety-critical or regulated work against the relevant standards, your project requirements and a qualified professional.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the total capital cost of the project or expansion in dollars.
- Enter the reserve or life-of-mine tonnes the capital will be spread across.
- Optionally enter recoverable product (saleable) tonnes to also see cost per product tonne.
How it works
Capital cost per reserve tonne = total capital cost ÷ reserve tonnes. If you also supply recoverable product tonnes, cost per product tonne = total capital cost ÷ product tonnes. Product-tonne intensity is always higher because saleable product is only a fraction of total material moved.
Worked example
Worked example. A $500,000,000 capital cost over a 50,000,000 t reserve is $10.00/t. If only 2,000,000 t of saleable product is recovered, capital intensity rises to $250.00/t of product.
Common mistakes
- Mixing reserve (in-ground) tonnes with saleable product tonnes — they give very different intensities.
- Treating this ratio as a full economic model; it ignores financing, timing, escalation and sustaining capital.
- Comparing intensities across metals or products without noting each has its own recovery and value.
Frequently asked questions
Is capital cost per tonne the same as operating cost per tonne?
No. This measures the up-front capital spread over reserves; operating (cash) cost per tonne is the ongoing cost to mine and process each tonne.
Should I use reserve tonnes or product tonnes?
Use reserve tonnes for capital-intensity benchmarking of the whole deposit, and product tonnes when comparing the capital cost of delivering saleable product.
Related tools
- Life-of-Mine Progress Calculator
- Metal Content Calculator
- Haulage Cost Estimate Calculator
- Pit Optimisation Revenue Estimator
- Mining Rate Calculator
- Breakeven Cutoff Grade Calculator
Explore more in Mining, Quarry, Earthworks, Drill & Blast.
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
All calculations run in your browser. Your inputs are never saved or transmitted.