How can the mining industry reduce its carbon footprint with the help of digitalization and green and low-carbon technologies?
Mining plays a pivotal role in the global economy and is a key player in driving the global energy transition. However, the mining industry has long relied heavily on fossil fuels such as diesel as the main source of power for mining equipment and plant operations. According to McKinsey's estimates, mining accounts for about 4% to 7% of global carbon emissions. Among them, diesel-powered equipment and operations account for a large proportion of carbon emissions, and depending on the actual geographical and geological conditions, the greenhouse gas emissions directly generated in the mining process can account for 30%, or even as high as 80%.
In China, mining is not only the basic industry of the national economy, but also an important support for the construction of a new industrialized power, and as a key industry of energy consumption and carbon emissions in China, mining is also an important area to promote green and low-carbon development. In the context of "dual carbon", mining enterprises are facing multiple challenges such as digital transformation and sustainable development, process and quality control, efficiency and benefit improvement, and the entire industry urgently needs to accelerate the adjustment and optimization of industrial structure, energy structure and product structure to accelerate the dual transformation of "digitalization" and "green and low-carbon", and steadily achieve high-quality development through the transformation from "seeking big by quantity" to "strong by quality".
The demand for metals and mineral resources will continue to increase, driving innovation in clean energy technologies
Building facilities with green energy technologies at their core, such as solar power plants, wind farms, and new energy electric vehicles (EVs), requires more investment in metals and minerals than comparable fossil fuel-based facilities/equipment. For example, a new energy vehicle requires about six times more mineral resources than a conventional fuel vehicle. Therefore, with the further development of the clean energy industry, the mining industry will also play an increasingly important role in promoting global sustainable development.
The latest World Bank report predicts that by 2050, the global market demand for metals and mineral resources will increase by nearly 500%, mainly to meet the research and development and application of green technologies such as clean energy. For the majority of mining companies, the core challenge is to meet the huge market demand for metals and mineral resources, and at the same time to combine green and low-carbon technologies to strictly control their own carbon emissions in the mining process.
The "digital green" upgrade helps mining enterprises move towards sustainability
With advanced digital technologies and green and low-carbon technologies, companies can use low-carbon or decarbonized electricity instead of fossil fuels to power process operations, equipment and power generation facilities, which will be an important way for the mining industry to reduce its carbon footprint. At the level of open-pit mining equipment, electric trucks have replaced traditional trucks fueled by diesel and gasoline in previous mines, and trolleybuses have become a powerful alternative for enterprises to achieve carbon reduction and control.
The application of digital technology is also an important means for mining enterprises to achieve energy conservation and consumption reduction, such as the use of AVEVAAPC advanced process control technology to achieve on-demand ventilation in the underground, that is, the operating load of the fan is automatically adjusted according to the frequency conversion of oxygen concentration, the use of EMS energy management system to achieve real-time energy monitoring, analysis and optimization of energy, and the use of MES manufacturing execution system to achieve planning and scheduling optimization, intelligent operation scheduling, etc. to promote efficient production.
The International Mining and Metals Association (ICMM) estimates that there are currently around 28,000 large mining haul trucks in operation worldwide. These mining vehicles emit more than 68 million tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of more than 8.5 million households. By replacing these petrol or diesel-powered vehicles with electric trucks, this large amount of carbon emissions could be almost completely eliminated. As such, the program is of great significance in helping mining companies reduce their carbon footprint.
The practice of many mining sites, including the Borden mine in Ontario, Canada, has shown that it is feasible to implement digital, green and low-carbon transformation while ensuring the normal production and operation of the mine. At the Borden mine, Newmont digitally upgraded its entire underground truck fleet from diesel to battery power, reducing its carbon emissions, improving the air and environmental quality around the mine, saving on high internal combustion engine maintenance costs and reducing noise pollution.
Upgrading underground mining operations with digital, green and low-carbon technologies will accelerate the company's move towards decarbonized production and achieve sustainable development. The reason for this is that the energy efficiency of electric engines is about 90%, while diesel engines are only about 30%. On the other hand, the mine needs to ventilate the working environment as the residual heat generated by the engine is discharged into the surrounding air. In underground mining operations, where ventilation systems operate at about 30 to 50 percent of total energy consumption, electric motors can also help reduce ventilation needs by 30 percent.
Balance power supply and demand, and steadily promote the transition to electric vehicles
In the past, the main energy concerns faced by mining areas were transportation logistics and refueling operations, which required sufficient diesel and gasoline supply to meet normal production operations, but after digitalization, green and low-carbon transformation, mining areas need to focus more on their own power supply and demand planning and dispatching capabilities to maintain the normal operation of the entire management system, which will also increase the complexity of its upgrading.
Power demand side: After switching equipment assets and production processes from fossil fuel power to electric power, the mine also needs to carry out comprehensive energy management on its own, both to balance the new power load to ensure the stability of the system operation, and to innovate the power infrastructure to meet the power demand of electric equipment.
Electricity supply side (power supply in the mine): The transition from fossil fuel power to electric power may multiply the demand for electricity in the mine, so renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal, and solar energy need to be used as a source of electricity as much as possible.
Develop a clear transformation roadmap to accelerate the process of upgrading the mining site
Digital, green and low-carbon technologies to transform traditional diesel-powered transportation and loading equipment and other assets and production processes will become one of the main ways for mining companies to reduce their own carbon emissions. This will also bring other production benefits, including improved environmental conditions for operators and miners, such as reduced heat emissions and noise, and in some cases reduced ventilation needs and lower energy consumption in the mine.
In this process, the key challenge for the company is how to redesign the power infrastructure according to the actual needs of the mining area, and ensure sufficient power supply to achieve its carbon reduction and control goals. To do this, mining companies can work with Schneider Electric's team of experts to develop their own personalized and scalable roadmap for digital, green and low-carbon transformation, and with Schneider Electric's reliable planning and design, they can ensure the continuity of mining process operations and steadily advance their decarbonization goals. At the same time, Schneider Electric will also provide corresponding strategic guidance for the upgrading and transformation of the whole life cycle of the mining area, help enterprises clarify the allocation of energy resources, meet the energy demand before and after the transformation of the mining area, and then escort their full-cycle production and operation.
As a reliable partner in the process of "double transformation" in the mining industry, Schneider Electric will create the four values of "safe and stable, agile and efficient, green and low-carbon, and people-oriented" for customers through solutions and services covering the whole life cycle based on its advanced concepts and technologies in the field of automation and energy management, with digitalization as the starting point, and then work with mining enterprises to move towards a more sustainable future industry.
Source: China Industry News Network
