MINING ENERGY_proof 25/08/2016 12:38 Page 4
MINING ENERGY
monitor and optimise power usage in the
microgrid.
To support the development of the Cat
Microgrid technologies over the past year,
Caterpillar has invested in Fluidic Energy for
energy storage and signed a strategic alliance
with First Solar for an integrated photovoltaic
(PV) solar solution.
Caterpillar has made an equity investment in
Powerhive, an energy solutions provider for
emerging markets
Renewable energy
integrated application for remote power,” said
Rick Rathe, General Manager of New Ventures for
Caterpillar’s Electric Power business. “Cat
Microgrid technologies deliver an innovative,
financially viable way to incorporate sustainable
sources of energy into our existing portfolio of
traditional power generation offerings.”
In a hybrid microgrid, renewable sources of
energy can account for any percentage of the
load depending on conditions. Excess energy
produced by renewables is stored for
stabilisation as well as for use during
unfavourable conditions, such as cloudy days
and night time. Generator sets supplement the
system by powering the microgrid when energy
from other sources is unavailable.
Cat Microgrid applications can include any
combination of the following elements:
n Thin-film solar modules, which capture more
energy, especially in high-temperature, highhumidity, desert, and coastal climates
n Energy storage such as ultracapacitors,
lithium-ion, or rechargeable metal-air storage
that provides the most economical and
advanced energy storage with controls and
monitoring down to the cell level
n Cat generator sets powered by diesel, heavy
fuel oil (HFO), natural gas, biogas, or dual
fuel, offering high power density, high-part
load efficiencies, and excellent capability to
follow loads
n The Cat Microgrid Master Controller to
In her paper New Energy Paradigms in Resource
Extraction at the SME Annual Conference in
Phoenix in February, Resa Furey, Market Analyst
with MWH (now part of Stantec) noted that
“many mining companies set goals for GHG
reductions rather than renewable energy production.
“IAMGOLD,” for instance, “is committed to a
goal of 15% of energy generation coming from
renewables in the next three to five years.” Gold
Fields, she reported has made a commitment to
have 20% renewable energy generation on
average in all new mine developments. And Gold
Fields’ corporate office is to go 50% off-grid
using solar PV.
Industry experts estimate, she reports that “by
2020:
n At least 5% of the energy used by the mining
industry will come from renewable sources.
Currently less than 0.1% of the industry’s
energy consumption is from renewable
sources
SEPTEMBER 2016 | International Mining 73