Current views on energy management

Sourced from the May 2014 CIM Magazine:

“Energy is a major concern: how reliable it is, how much it costs today and how much it may cost in five years, or 10. Renewable energy sources have matured to the point where they are starting to prove themselves in the mining industry. As a follow-up to the CIM Magazine March/April cover story “Can we ditch diesel,” which looked at the integration of wind and solar power at mining operations, we partnered with Mining Energy Advisors to learn more from those working in the industry on where and how renewables may fit into the mining energy mix.”

The survey findings include

• Transmission-supplied electrical energy drives the majority of costs (not diesel)

• Energy management and supply are viewed as operational costs or risk factors, important for corporate sustainability. The view that they could be outsourced is not well developed.

• Investment in energy efficiency is beginning, with expectations of a payback of under 2 years, or 2-5 years at most.

• CAPEX associated with energy efficiency improvements is considered the largest barrier to implementation, along with lack of management buy-in and focus on tonnage.

• Energy management is viewed as the domain of specialized companies.

 

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