MASTERING THE PATH TO DECARBONISATION

AS MINING COMPANIES LOOK TO SLASH EMISSIONS, ROBUST AND RELIABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS ARE KEY.

- 

While a new year has begun, the global energy transition is only just heating up. According to the Climate Change Authority's 2024 'Sector Pathway Review', emissions from Australia's resources sector equalled 99 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022, representing 23 per cent of the country's total emissions in that year.

For Australia to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, decarbonising the mining sector is key.

This will see solutions such as battery energy storage systems (BESS), wind farms, and solar microgrids implemented across both brownfield and greenfield sites.

Aggreko head of energy solutions Asia-Pacific Greg Lunt said there has been a substantial increase in the number of mines looking for renewables and hybrid power stations in recent years.

"Several mid-tier miners are leading the way," Lunt told Australian Mining.

"The Tier 1 miners are probably a little bit slower, but they are definitely looking to decarbonise their operations. I think it's due to the decision-making timeframes, approval processes, and the number of studies larger companies tend to go through.

"Current fuel sources being used at mine sites have a big impact on the economic benefits of renewables. Some Tier 1 miners have assets connected to gas pipelines and depending on their location, their fuel cost can be very low, making the shift to renewables less financially attractive.

"Most new mines these days generally end up implementing a hybrid power station as it provides the lowest cost of energy."

Hybrid technology refers to one renewable energy system being integrated with another.

Aside from reducing emissions, benefits of a hybrid solution include having the ability to scale to meet different energy demands, being cheaper to run compared to standalone gas or diesel systems and being able to provide uninterrupted power during outages.