Selection and evaluation of economic and emission reduction benefit of a mine electrification system for transportation in deep opencut copper mines
List of Authors
  • Joyanta Chakraborty

Keyword
  • sustainability, decarbonization, mine haulage alternatives, AHP, trolley assist haulage system

Abstract
  • The Paris Agreement's global decarbonization drive has heightened the need for sustainable energy options, shifting focus away from fossil fuels. Copper, a crucial metal in this transition, will face increased demand, necessitating deeper opencut mines. However, this poses issues as traditional fuel-intensive trucks used for mine haulage result in substantial Scope 1 emissions and rising operational costs. This study addresses the urgency to explore alternative mine haulage systems that minimize fuel consumption and associated emissions while maintaining economic viability. It evaluates potential systems at "The Copper Pit," a Latin American copper mine, based on capital cost, operating cost, flexibility, safety, technological readiness, and emission abatement potential. Using the Analytical Hierarchy Method, weightage values for each criterion are calculated, resulting in a prioritized ranking table. Trolley Assist truck haulage emerges as the most promising alternative, showcasing impressive savings of up to 87% in fuel consumption and associated emissions, and an 80% reduction in running costs. Economic advantages are affected by diesel and power prices, with the carbon tax having the smallest impact. The study recommends a feasibility study for Trolley Assist implementation in the Copper Pit and a staged approach to minimize risks. Despite being less flexible and requiring upfront capital, Trolley Assist holds promise for deep copper mines, significantly reducing emissions and operating costs, ensuring sustainable and profitable mining operations.

Reference
  • 1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Data Explorer – 10 November 2021 - https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-energy-data-explorer

    2. Global Temperature Rise since 1860. Source - European Environment Agency - Global and European temperatures (https://www.eea.europa.eu/ims/global-and-european-temperatures)

    3. Publication: State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2023 – World Bank Group – Page 29

    4. Electrification Alternatives for Open Pit Mine Haulage - Bao, H.; Knights, P.; Kizil, M.; Nehring, M. - Mining 2023, 3, 1–25

    5. Qualitative Review of Alternative Transport Systems for Open Pit Mine – Parra A. and Morales M. - June 2016. Conference: 6th International Conference on Innovation in Mine Operations At: Santiago, Chile

    6. Journal of Mining and Metallurgy, 45 A (1) (2009) 78 – 87- Nurić S.; Nurić A. and Brčaninović M.

    7. Pulling The Weight of Heavy Truck Decarbonization - Muralidharan; R, Kirk T; Blank. T. K – Rockey Mountain Institute, 2019 Report

    8. Potential Economic and Operational Benefits and Impacts Of Trolley Assist In Open Pit Mining –Leblanc I, Janusauskas D., St-Onge J - May 2014 – BBA.ca

    9. Modelling and Evaluation of Benefits of Trolley Assist System for Mining Trucks –Cruzat V. J and Valenzuela A. M. - IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications Vol 54, No 4, July/August 2018

    10. Copper Mountain increases scope of trolley assist haulage project - Daniel Gleeson, International Mining (IM) -September 2022

    11. Challenges and opportunities for large-scale production of biodiesel - Mustafa Balat - July 2011

    12. Green hydrogen: Decarbonization in mining – Review – Figueiredoa L. R, da Silva M. J. Ortiz A. E. C - Cleaner Energy Systems – June 2023

    13. Energy density and the challenges of electrification for heavy duty vehicle - Benchmark Mineral Intelligence - Panayi, A,- 2019

    14. World’s largest battery-electric mine truck heading for commercial availability in 2024 Creamer. M., - Mining Weekly - 2022

    15. Hutnyak Consulting – http://www.hutnyak.com/

    16. Understanding, selecting, and integrating a theoretical framework in dissertation research: creating the blueprint for your “house” – Grant C, Osanlo A – 2014

    17. Adom D, Hussein. K. E, Agyem. A.J - Theoretical and conceptual framework: mandatory ingredients of a quality research – 2018

    18. Handbook of research methodology - Mishra B.S., Alok S. – 2017

    19. The Analytic Hierarchy Process—What It Is and How It Is Used. Mathematical Modelling, 9, 161-17- Saaty, W. R. (1987)

    20. TALPAC-3D - https://rpmglobal.com/product/talpac-3d/

    21. ICMM Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles Initiative (ICSV) – Vehicle Interaction (VI) workstream – 10 March 2023 - https://gmggroup.org/interoperability/icmm-innovation-for-cleaner-safer-vehicles-initiative-icsv-vehicle-interaction-vi-workstream/