Much of the mining industry’s push towards net-zero will be driven by technology, and a new whitepaper from WesTrac outlines steps that can be taken to improve environmental performance.
Every stage of the mining supply and value chain is aware of the need to improve environmental performance and move towards the ultimate goal of zero emissions.
But the issue, according to leading Caterpillar dealer WesTrac, is that many operators along that chain don’t quite know what steps to take to start addressing the necessary issues.
And that’s why the company produced its recent whitepaper, ‘Targeting zero emissions in mining: Technology and the push for greater sustainability’.
WesTrac takes social responsibility seriously and understands that sustainability applies to all the ways in which the organisation impacts the world around it.
The company recognises the need to make changes in the resources sector, and WesTrac aims to demonstrate sustainable practices in environmental management, minimising environmental risk and impact to clients and community stakeholders.
The new whitepaper outlines practical approaches and existing or emerging technologies designed to help on the journey to eliminating emissions. It focuses on environmental factors, particularly how equipment technology is helping miners address sustainability goals in terms of emissions reduction.
According to WesTrac product manager Rafael Price, electrification of vehicles and equipment is one of the key areas of focus for improving environmental performance in the mining industry.
However, Price said, finding an effective balance of weight to power that allows an operation to maintain productivity while reducing emissions can be a significant challenge when using battery technology in, for example, a truck.
“A Cat 793F haul truck would have about 2650 horsepower available in its current configuration and that will move a fully loaded truck up a hill at around 14km per hour for many hours without the need to refuel,” he said.
“When we go to a new energy source such as a battery technology, it’s about getting the energy density into that machine, so we can operate in an efficient way.
“It’s a matter of finding the most efficient and cost-effective battery energy system that’s going to store enough energy, be rechargeable in a timely manner and not add too much additional weight to the machine.”
Zero-emissions haul trucks are certainly an area of focus; however, with Caterpillar and Rio Tinto collaborating on a development project to rollout the world’s first fully autonomous, zero-emissions fleet of CAT 793Fs at the miner’s cutting-edge Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in the Pilbara.
But WesTrac underlines the fact that alternate fuel sources are only one piece of the technology puzzle that is a more sustainable future.
The company’s whitepaper looks at an example where gold and copper producer Newmont, in what was called “a trendsetting move”, partnered with WesTrac to introduce a fully autonomous haul fleet at its Boddington mine in WA, making it one of the first sites in the world to do so.
“Deep autonomy will play straight into decarbonisation, and ultimately greater overall sustainability,” WesTrac autonomous haulage system deployment manager Brett Wilson, who was closely involved with the Newmont Boddington rollout, said.
“Technology unlocks revolutions. We’ve seen it since the 1800s – bring technology, bring new ways of doing things and it just unlocks so much potential.
“General output from the trucks (at Boddington) is up. Tonnes moved are up. The trucks operate well in fog, sleet, rain, slippery environments. There have been no accidents, no issues. The trucks just work.”
The key message of the whitepaper, according to WesTrac Cat MineStar product supervisor Laura Brennan, is that success in improved sustainability is the sum of many small parts.
“Regular one per cent improvements here and there, over an entire system, equal massive gains over time,” she said.
This feature appeared in the August edition of Australian Mining.
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