Solar energy applications in mining: A case study

Abstract

In these times when sustainability is so crucial, clean energy resources have become increasingly important in the mining sector. Typically, about 30% of operational costs can be attributed to energy in mining activities. A mining company able to successfully embrace an integrated program that uses available renewable energy resources is often more successful. Renewable Energy Integration (REI) involves production, as well as managing the environmental and regulatory conditions. Renewable energy technologies are most attractive to mining projects in remote regions with little or no access to established electric grids. Inadequate energy supply has shifted the dynamic of solar energy development, as firms increasingly turn to renewable energies as one component of a basket of energy options used to maintain stable power at mining operations. The broad objective of the chapter is to foster a deeper understanding of solar technology and its integration in mines that enable them to address energy and sustainability issues more proactively and tactically. This chapter outlines recent developments in solar energy in the mining industry. It also discusses case studies where this framework has been applied and highlights the key emerging themes, such as energy management and environmental considerations, with benefits, weaknesses and future challenges.