HIGH PROFILE
Aggreko renews its commitment to the mining sector
Aggreko ’ s hybrid power solutions might include an energy mix of diesel , gas , solar , wind and battery storage , with power switched to another source and scaled up or down depending on the renewable power available and the operation ’ s daily requirements amount of money on new technology every year and recently we have committed to investing between £ 250- £ 350 million a year to support our energy transition commitments towards becoming a “ net zero ” business by 2050 . We can offer this flexibility because we are able to make use of the aged fleet in our short-term contract business division . Our business model allows for low cost upgrades / swap outs which reduces risk for miners .
IM finds out how Aggreko is helping facilitate new clean and ‘ green ’ power options at mine sites across the globe
Aggreko , a leading power provider , has complete the installation of one of the world ’ s recently committed to reducing not only its largest renewable energy microgrids for the Granny own carbon emissions , but also those
Smith gold mine in Western Australia , with the new emissions coming from the mining industry . hybrid power system – integrated with Aggreko ’ s Often called upon to provide alternative solutions existing gas-fired power station at the mine – in power infrastructure at either off-grid or powered by more than 20,000 solar panels and unreliable grid-connected mine sites across the supported by a 2 MW / 1 MWh battery system . world , Aggreko is to reach “ net zero emissions ”
To get some more information on the continued status by 2050 . emergence of these hybrid power solutions in Ahead of this , by 2030 , Aggreko says it will : mining , IM put some questions to Aggreko ' s Global n Reduce the amount of fossil diesel fuel used in Head of Mining , Rod Saffy . customer solutions by at least 50 % by offering customers cleaner technologies and fuels that IM : How is Aggreko dealing with the varied and guarantee the same or better level of reliability evolving needs of the mining sector to provide fitfor-purpose power solutions that solve not only and competitiveness ; n Reduce local air quality emissions of customer today ’ s mine site needs , but also demands in 5-10 solutions also by 50 % ( all emissions from diesel , years ’ time ? gas and other fuels ); and
RS : Because of Aggreko ’ s scale , access to n Achieve net zero across all its own business equipment and investment in new technology , we operations . are able to offer customers what they need within
The company has vowed to invest £ 250- £ 350 reduced time frames . Also , through our flexibility , million ($ 348-487 million ) each year to support its we can introduce new technology as and when it energy transition , including big spends in what it becomes available under the same contract . sees as a major growth area for its business : mining .
IM : Are mining companies that sign up for longterm agreements asking you to ‘ bake in ’ potential
Aggreko has been providing hybrid power solutions to mine sites for several years now . This changes to the renewable energy mix in their might include an energy mix of diesel , gas , solar , existing solutions ? For example , are they signing wind and battery storage . Power can be switched up to a diesel-renewable hybrid contract with the to another source and scaled up or down idea that the ratio will shift from the former to the depending on the renewable power available and latter in , say , five years ’ time ? How are you able to the operation ’ s daily requirements . offer this type of flexibility ? Just last year it partnered with Gold Fields to RS : Absolutely . Aggreko invests a significant
IM : Are you seeing big potential for your Energy-as-a-Service ( EaaS ) model in the mining sector ? Is this type of solution relevant for all mining companies – big and small ? RS : We do see a big potential as increasingly mining companies are telling us that they want to focus on their core business of mining , and they are happy to pay for energy as a service .
IM : How does Aggreko Solar Power , which sees the company provide clean and efficient power supply to a range of weak or off-grid operations without long-term financial commitments , differentiate your renewable offering from other peers on the market ? Is this being appreciated by the many mining companies with sites that are offgrid or suffering from weak grid connection ? RS : At Aggreko we engineer , procure , construct and manage ( EPCM ) our solar projects but the key to
“ At Aggreko we engineer , procure , construct and manage our solar projects but the key to our offering really comes in the control system / energy management software that is able to seamlessly integrate and select the power sources as they become available in the most efficient manner ,” Aggreko ’ s Rod Saffy says
8 International Mining | APRIL 2021