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Designing Energy Efficiency - New Technology Potential

Contributors

Andrew van ZylJoseph MainamaJaco van Graan

Chris Smythe

Kenny Mahuma

Ali Rudaki

Making a mine energy efficient requires plenty of planning which ideally means proactively designing for efficiency from an early stage in a project. In this second article on energy efficiency, SRK Consulting considers the design priorities for mines and some of the technology available to enhance efficiency.

Joseph Mainama principal mining engineer at SRK Consulting confirms that
many mining companies are embracing new technology for energy efficiency, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. "The move to battery-powered vehicles underground, for instance, is quite well established. However, it is still much easier to achieve efficiency benefits when designing a new project; trying to upgrade an existing mine is much more challenging."

Upfront planning

SRK Consulting principal mechanical engineer Chris Smythe agrees. ”Improving energy efficiency must always be considered early in the planning stages, when it is easier to do. Good planning up front is much more cost effective — and less time -
consuming — than making modifications to an existing plan or even after construction.