https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Carbon pricing pushing mines to look at renewable alternatives

10th October 2016

By: Anine Kilian

Contributing Editor Online

  

Font size: - +

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Carbon pricing is pushing mining leaders to consider renewable-energy options as a way of further reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and stabilising energy costs, according to information source for energy and mining Energy and Mines director Adrienne Baker.

"Carbon pricing in Canada is having an impact on the energy choices of mines. With carbon becoming a commercial liability, mines are evaluating renewables for remote sites and integrating alternative energy into feasibility studies for new operations as a way of limiting carbon exposure," she says.

Energy and Mines points out that Canadian mining companies currently leading carbon reduction and renewables integration include Barrick Gold, Iamgold, AurCrest Gold, Goldcorp and TMAC Resources.

These companies are investing in renewables and mine electrification to significantly reduce their carbon exposure, stabilise energy costs and boost social licence to operate.

"The projects these mines are doing and the approaches they are taking to energy are models for the entire sector to mitigate carbon risk and address energy challenges," notes Baker.

Internationally, Conference of the Parties 21 targets, as well as emerging carbon policies in key mining jurisdictions – including Chile, Argentina and South Africa – are also pushing mining leaders to integrate carbon exposure into their energy choices.

Energy and Mines notes that mining leaders are adopting shadow prices - the estimated price of a good or service for which no market price exists - on carbon and introducing carbon risk into their energy plans for global operations, which is a big change over the last two years, when the core focus has been energy savings.

"Many miners, including Newmont and Gold Fields, are elevating carbon risk to a strategic level and integrating it into their energy plans," she adds.

Carbon pricing and the role of renewables will be a key topic at the fourth yearly Energy and Mines World Congress, taking place in Toronto, Canada on November 21 and 22, which will bring together over 300 mining, renewables and finance leaders to discuss carbon mitigation and renewables integration.

Solar energy company Lightsource Renewable Energy is the event sponsor, which drives connections between global mining and renewables experts to accelerate sustainable energy for mines.

The event will also celebrate mining companies for their achievements in renewable energy for the first time this year.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

Comments

Showroom

Alco-Safe
Alco-Safe

An unmanned breathalyser that is made to be tough and simple to use. Can be used in any environment for operator-free breathalyser testing.

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Willard
Willard

Rooted in the hearts of South Africans, combining technology and a quest for perfection to bring you a battery of peerless standing. Willard...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.07 0.124s - 156pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now