KEEPING IT COOL

AS MINING OPERATIONS DIG DEEPER TO UNLOCK ORE, MODERN COOLING SOLUTIONS ARE KEY TO MAINTAINING SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY.

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As mines across Australia dig deeper in search of ore, heat and humidity are emerging as silent productivity barriers. Beyond the obvious safety risks for workers, high underground temperatures can derail production by forcing machinery to operate below capacity or fail altogether. Industry experts believe refrigeration — once seen as a costly add-on — is becoming as essential as power in sustaining viable mining operations.

“Cooling is necessary for production at a certain point,” Aggreko mine cooling sector manager Mitchell Bevan told Australian Mining. “As you go deeper, density increases and so does temperature. Equipment overheats, production slows and, most importantly, people are at risk.

“Around the world there are still underground operations where heat and insufficient ventilation cause regular cases of heat exhaustion and, in the worst cases, fatalities. Even in Australia, people can get sick underground in summer if cooling isn’t managed properly.

“At a certain depth, refrigeration isn’t optional – it’s a requirement.”

While Australian mines typically operate at depths of 1-2km, Bevan said that operations in other parts of the world already extend 5-7km below the surface.

“Our mines could extend to similar depths in the future,” he said. “That means refrigeration will only become more critical.”

Two markets, two approaches

There are two distinct markets for mine cooling in Australia.

“In the short-term market, particularly with gold miners, operators are often just trying to get a foot in the door,” Bevan said.