Goldcorp Inc. is building the world’s first entirely electric mine, in efforts to shift beyond the diesel-dependent mining industry. The tunnel is 800 feet underground and is a potential game-changer in how energy is delivered and consumed.
Miners are desperate to keep prices low because they have hit a slump in commodity prices over the last few years. Going electric may be the solution to slashing prices, as well as reducing greenhouse gases.
This site could save around nine million annually on diesel, electricity and propane. Gains in productivity are expected to be high because gas from dynamite clears, while electricity means the equipment can continuously work.
Benefits of Electric Equipment:
Electric equipment should keep mine workers healthier, as studies indicate an elevated cancer risk for workers who are exposed to diesel exhaust, which is classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. Health issues have been classified as a big problem, and are acute in long-running underground mines.
Going electric has a 25-30% premium on equipment, but could cut the cost of energy ventilation in half. Energy ventilation in mines is an arduous task because the mines are often porous and trapping cool air underground. Maintenance costs are expected to be significantly lower in the electric mine because diesel machines typically have 1,000 more parts than electric. Commercial production on the 100,000-ounce-per-year mine will begin in the second half of 2019.
What Stops Wide-Spread Electrification:
While automation has become a hot commodity in mining, electrification is still lagging. The reason is because old mines can be retrofit to add automated elements such as robots. On the other hand, complete payback from electric operations would mean that there had to be customization of new-builds. Essentially, the process of adding, or changing anything in an electrical operation would require greater effort to build on.
Goldcorp Mine:
There will be a long road that extends four kilometers into the mine. In order to power its 40-ton electric trucks, they will develop a fast-charge system because they cannot run a full shift of hauling ore out of the mine on a single charge.
Diesel is still more economically viable in big open pit operations because there, vehicles require large batteries that can consume haulage space and these places have no ventilation savings.
Trends in Mining to Come:
Mining is one of those industries that is looking to change and revolutionize the way it works and processes large-scale systems. Many companies find that going electric appeals to millenials who will eventually replace an aging workforce.
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