EnergyEnergy resources have become increasingly limited and expensive. SmeltersSmelter are then driven towards a lower energy consumptionEnergy consumption operation to maximize the profitability of their production. However, a lower internal heat modifies the thermal balanceThermal balance of the cell and may lead to operational complications. In those cases, the cell lining needs to be adjusted accordingly. One possible way to operate at reduced internal heat with a proper thermal balanceThermal balance is to limit the heat lossHeat loss through the collector bars by reducing the length of the copper insertCopper insert. However, doing so will cause an increase of the cathodic ohmic resistance and a variation of the heat lossHeat loss distribution. This paper investigates the thermal and electrical behavior of the copper insertCopper insert configuration in the cathode assemblyCathode assembly. Strategy using a cost function based on key performance indicators is proposed to determine the optimal configuration of the copper insertCopper insert in the cathode assemblyCathode assembly.