Carbon price regulations are boosting the case for renewables at mine sites by making them more financially viable, says one of Newmont Mining Corporation’s chief metallurgists, Frank Roberto. “Right now, without considering the cost of carbon, we default to the traditional sources of power. But, with the cost of carbon factored in, that gives us the Read More
Storage solutions are dramatically changing the resource sector’s energy landscape by allowing solar and wind to provide 24/7 energy supply to remote mines. Glencore’s Raglan mine Currently, mines are implementing storage technologies either in combination with renewables to solve intermittency issues or with diesel generators to save on fuel costs. Off-grid mines, which usually have at Read More
Renewable energy is developing rapidly but to make further inroads with mining, it needs to further adapt to the sector’s power needs, says Tony Lord, Director of Asset and Energy Management at New Gold. The multinational mining company operates projects in North America, South America, and Australia. “Right now, renewables are still a developing technology with Read More
Remote northern mines have their own unique energy challenges, including lack of a reliable supply, limited site access and extreme weather conditions. One of the best ways to overcome such problems is to find the right energy mix that would incorporate renewables, according to the Director Environment & Permitting at Tata Steel, Loic Didillon. “In the North, having Read More
With just under 1000 MW of installed capacity, according to the Energy and Mines Global Rankings, renewables for mines is now firmly established as a critical market segment for the global renewable energy industry. Industry experts predict continued growth for this sector as mines face increasing carbon exposure and energy cost pressures. “We are seeing a Read More
Miners are discovering that renewable energy generation is good for both sustainability goals and the bottom line. There is a triple bottom line to consider when adopting renewable energy in the mining sector: economical, social and environmental, Chief Technical Officer for Mining at Black & Veatch, Dennis Gibson, tells Energy and Mines. Gibson argues the recent Read More
Renewable energy sources have reached the stage, where they can reduce energy costs as well as emissions, Barrick Gold’s Senior Manager of Energy and GHG, Russell Blades, tells Energy and Mines. “We are seeing a ‘perfect storm’ brewing around renewables. Solar and energy storage are improving in efficiencies and reducing in costs. Renewables are already cost-effective Read More
Renewable power options are fairly new to the mining sector and the biggest opportunities lie in the off-grid mining sector, Erwin Spolders, CEO of Redavia, tells Energy and Mines. Redavia focuses on redeployable solar farms by offering flexible rental agreements. “Off-grid mines are the canaries in the coal mine. They are really the first to benefit Read More
Energy and Mines has released the initial results of the first global rankings of renewables use by mining companies identifying the top 21 mining companies using wind and solar to power their operations. The Energy and Mines Renewables in Mining Rankings also reports on the market size of wind and solar for mines showing current installed Read More
The economics of renewables and emerging funding support for these technologies is something the resource sector should benefit from, says Tsakani Mthombeni, Group Head of Carbon and Energy for Gold Fields. “In 2015, the data suggested a marked reduction in cost for certain renewable energy technologies as well as increasing funding for these renewables,” he notes. Read More
