Miners going green?

Miners around the world are turning to renewable energy to control energy costs. At the Energy and Mines World Congress in Toronto, Canada, gold miner Newmont Mining said its number one opportunity was solar energy at its operations in Tanami, Australia, and in Peru. The company will also focus on micro-hydro power in Peru and hydrogenation-derived renewable diesel for its underground operation in Nevada.

“We’ll have to make those changes gradually and in a way that is cost-e ective to our operations,” says Frank Roberto, Newmont’s chief metallurgist, stating that dependence on traditional power sources has slowed the transition to alternatives.

Michel Carreau, Hatch Energy’s director of energy, said the Paris Accord could help push miners towards sustainable energy to avoid a possible USD 50 per tonne carbon tax.

“Ten years from now there is not going to be a mining company that starts a project with a life of at least 10 years without putting in renewable power,” he says.