Mining shift modelled
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Western Australia’s mining industry could soon run entirely on renewable energy.
Researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) predict that falling costs and advancing technology make a shift to solar and wind power achievable for the state’s 134 mining projects, which generated $238 billion in sales during 2023-24.
Traditionally reliant on diesel generators, the sector faces rising pressure to adopt greener energy.
“The mining industry faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable energy practices due to its significant energy consumption and the global push toward reducing carbon emissions,” says ECU PhD student Mehrdad Ghahramani.
Hybrid energy systems, blending renewables with traditional generators, are already providing a practical stepping stone.
A key hurdle remains the cost of lithium-ion batteries for storing renewable energy, but prices are falling.
Ghahramani noted that customised solutions would be necessary, given the differences in mining sites’ needs and locations.
“Mining sites differ vastly in their energy requirements, geographic locations, and existing infrastructure. This diversity makes a one-size-fits-all approach impractical,” he said.
His study introduces a risk-based framework for managing hybrid systems, balancing cost and reliability under energy supply uncertainties.
For instance, risk-averse strategies prioritise reliability with higher reserves, increasing costs by 28 per cent, while risk-seeking methods cut costs by 15 per cent but reduce reliability.
“The winner will be the mining company that can prepare themselves for all aspects of using renewable energy, including the challenges that it can bring in terms of intermittency, grid stability, and energy storage solutions,” Ghahramani said.
The research encourages starting small, with initiatives such as microgrids, to ease the shift.
It says hybrid systems combining diesel or gas with solar or wind currently offer the most reliable interim solution for remote sites.
The full study is accessible here.
