Miners top energy tips to net zero

With decarbonisation at the forefront of miners’ agendas, the world’s leading provider of mobile and modular power solutions, Aggreko, has released top energy tips to help miners decarbonise now and into the future. Aggreko’s Global Head of Mining, Rod Saffy, said while miners were embracing the global energy transition, some were unsure where to begin. “For some miners it’s about knowing where to start and they may be weighing up the cost, risk and threat of new technology in the future,” Mr Saffy said.

“Fortunately, technology isn’t in the same place as it was five years ago or even two years ago. Some of the renewable power technologies available today, combined with thermal generation in a hybrid solution offer the same – if not better – levels of reliability and competitiveness than traditional thermal technology.”

Mr Saffy said power generation companies were taking significant steps to support miners on their respective paths to net-zero emissions.“Increasingly, power companies are offering renewables such as solar and wind energy to off-grid mines, and we often integrate those with battery storage solutions and thermal microgrids,” he said.

“If you consider a hybrid power solution – where you switch in renewables to your power mix alongside fossil fuels – your operation will be more flexible and can scale up and down as needed.

“Our approach means miners can also partner with us long term without being tied down to one fuel type for their power source, and new technology is introduced as it becomes viable. “Integrating renewables in this manner will result in greater costsavings and efficiencies for your project.”

One solar and thermal hybrid solution Aggreko delivered for a remote gold mine in Africa resulted in more than 12% savings in fuel (about 10,000 litres a day) and the contract offered meant the miner did not have to come up with capital to invest in the solar plant. Another example Aggreko was working on, Mr Saffy said, was a hybrid solar and thermal power solution for the Salares Norte open pit mine in Chile.

“It is a ground-breaking solution designed to provide power for the entire mine, which sits at an altitude of 4,500m in the Andes mountain range and is 190km from the nearest town,” Mr Saffy said.

“Once complete the hybrid power plant is expected to achieve $7.4 million in cost of energy savings over the next decade a further $1.1 million in carbon tax offset over the life of the mine, in addition to 104,000 tonnes of carbon emissions savings.

“The system will surpass the Chilean government’s environmental