ELECTRIFICATION
Electrifying mining may be an ambition for many companies looking to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs , but reaching that goal will also mean significant investment .
That ’ s according to a new report from McKinsey that says electrifying mines could double the demand for electricity . This will require some serious investment in the power infrastructure , with McKinsey saying this could top US $ 45 billion for the iron ore industry alone .
However , the potential benefits are just as eye-catching . Energy costs could be reduced by up to 70 %, while the all-important carbon footprint could be reduced by as much as 80 %.
Of course , this is not some unachievable target , as the report authors – Marc Henrio , Otto van der Ende , Gabriel Motta , and Raj Kumar Ray – tell Mining Digital .
“ There are already 100 % electric underground mines around , and it is definitely a possibility that fully electric open pit mines should start to come up in the future as the equipment technology matures .”
SuperBattery dump trucks could be fully charged in just 90 seconds – 100-times faster than standard lithium-ion batteries
36 July 2023