Credit: Mining.comIn light of both rising diesel prices and a broader emphasis on sustainability and reduced carbon emissions, the mining industry is increasingly considering the adoption of renewable energy generation. However, while the environmental impact and social license to operate remain important considerations for mines, cost savings on energy and logistics remain the primary driver for renewables integration.
Commenting on Goldcorp’s Borden Mine Project, the first all-electric mine in Canada, Brent Bergeron, Goldcorp’s executive vice president of corporate affairs and sustainability, pointed out that, while electrification did offer a significant reduction in carbon emissions, the main benefit was the “…very interesting financial benefits we can get by actually becoming smarter about how we produce and use power generation at our sites.”
Pan American Silver Corp has recently constructed a 98-kilometre powerline to connect its open pit silver/gold Dolores mine in Mexico to the national power grid. This will both reduce its reliance on environmentally damaging diesel, but also save the mine $9 million per year in energy costs. In June this year, B2Gold Corp finished construction on a seven-megawatt solar panel plant to power its mine in northern Namibia. The plant is expected to offset about 13% of the mines energy usage, saving B2Gold around $16.5 million per year. You can read more about the significant benefits for mines offered by renewable energy HERE.