MINE POWER
And this is why specialists such as Stantec are stressing now , more than ever , the need for an integrated team approach .
“ It needs to be an integrated team looking at tailings , closure , processing , land use , mining , the stakeholders next door , First Nations , financiers , etc ,” Sullivan said . “ This is the only way to make sure all of the trade-off studies that are carried out during the prefeasibility or feasibility study stages factor in all considerations to make a decision that is best for the triple bottom line : the economy , the environment and society .”
Matchmaking
Decision makers could potentially become paralysed by the amount of data coming their way within this equation , but there is more certainty when it comes to the available renewable energy generation offering for industry .
“ At this stage , solar , wind , hydro , SMRs and the other renewables we know about are established , and what we should factor in for the foreseeable future ,” Sullivan said . “ All of this new technology now has to work on the balance sheet .”
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi , Hitachi Energy is using digital solutions to right size the energy infrastructure at mine sites , realising it comes with inherent advantages for operations renowned for their variability .
“ The ability to understand and digitally replicate today ’ s mining operations , processes and efficiencies – a so-called ‘ baseline ’ mining scenario – can be a huge advantage in planning the electrification transition ,” Arnaldo Bertazzi , VP Industry Network Leader – Industries , told IM earlier this year .
“ With such a replica , the production targets , operational processes , energy demand landscape and carbon position can be studied , optimised or constrained according to business objectives .” This is even more important for electrified mines of the future , according to Bertazzi .
“ Energy management systems , energy trading software and certification of renewable energy use will become mandatory for an electrified mine ,” he predicted .
“ Solutions spanning the all-electric mine digital landscape include network management systems and solutions facilitating grid scale monitoring , control and automation of generation , transmission , distribution and renewable energy assets . Energy portfolio management offers an end-to-end solution for mission-critical investment , regulatory , operating and trading decisions , and asset and work management solutions support the optimisation of portfolio resources to balance performance , risk and cost .”
Yet , with each mine , region and type of mineralisation coming with its own unique challenges , flexibility will remain key here .
“ Cost and energy security have been at the forefront in driving these highly electric mines , and this will continue as renewables drive down the price of energy ,” Bertazzi said . “ A second lesson from this is the importance of renewables integration and power quality . As we see more reliance on electricity for energy , we need more technology to ensure the mine has the resilience to maintain operations during complex failures . The amount of electricity required will be enormous . Many mines will see their demand soar and will need to plan accordingly .
“ We must also recognise the role of diesel elimination in improving the air quality in underground mines . In that regard , not all fossil fuels are equal – eliminating diesel from underground mines has real , additional health benefits for mine workers besides the obvious sustainability considerations .”
The key challenge here , according to Bertazzi , is matching renewable power to the reality of continuous mining .
An energising agreement
BHP anticipates being able to do exactly that at the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance-owned coal assets in Queensland , Australia , after signing a new power purchase agreement ( PPA ) with Queensland ’ s publicly-owned energy generator and retailer CleanCo .
BMA entered into a new seven-year PPA commencing from its 2027 financial year to June 30 , 2027 , which is expected to allow BMA to meet all of its forecasted electricity needs from sources such as solar , wind and pumped hydro .
The new agreement – when combined with another renewable PPA signed with CleanCo in 2023 – is expected to allow BMA ’ s Queensland assets to become the first of the Australian operations at BHP to have 100 % of their forecasted operational electricity demand supplied by renewable PPAs from 2027 .
BHP President Australia , Geraldine Slattery , said : “ BHP has committed to a target of reducing our operational emissions by at least 30 % by financial year 2030 ( FY2030 ). So we ’ re really
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energised by this agreement . By moving BMA to 100 % renewables we ’ re taking a big step towards delivering on our goals .”
BHP Chief Commercial Officer , Rag Udd , added : “ Across all the sites we operate , we are aiming to have 100 % renewable electricity arrangements by FY2030 , where it is technically and commercially viable to do so .”
Renewable closures
It is two new 5.25 MW solar farms to be built on Gumatj and Rirratjingu country on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory of Australia that should allow Rio Tinto to secure a more sustainable power supply for the region beyond mining , the company says .
The solar farms will be built on Rio Tinto leases , following agreement with the Gumatj and Rirratjingu Traditional Owner Groups on the location of the facilities , and will help underpin a low-carbon future for the Gove community after mining operations cease , towards the end of the decade .
Aggreko will construct , own and operate the solar farms for Rio Tinto for up to 10 years , with construction having already begun . Completion is scheduled for early 2025 , with the two sites having combined capacity of 10.5 MW .
Rio Tinto Gove Operations Acting General Manager , Shannon Price , said : “ The Gove solar project is part of our shared vision with Traditional Owners to leave a positive legacy for the Gove Peninsula communities after bauxite mining ceases .”
Price said the solar farms are also part of the company ’ s ongoing commitment to decarbonise its business .
“ Once operational , they are expected to reduce annual CO 2e emissions at our Gove operations by up to 17 %,” he explained . “ We intend for these farms to underpin sustainable power for the region beyond mining .”
When complete , the solar farms are expected to reduce the region ’ s annual diesel consumption by about 20 %, or 4.5 million litres a year , and
40 International Mining | JANUARY 2025