Solar’s Growing Role in Decarbonising Off-Grid Mines

A reduction in deployment costs combined with technology gains mean solar-plus-storage is an increasingly attractive option for off-grid mining operations looking to cut emissions.

Accounting for 6% of the world’s energy demand, the mining sector is under mounting pressure to decarbonise – from investors, customers in the technology and auto industries as well as consumers – according to BloombergNEF. Analysis from the research organisation suggests mines could save up to 25% of their electricity costs by leveraging on-site solar, wind or batteries.

While the addition of renewables at mines was at a low level of importance in terms of corporate social responsibility during the mid-2010s, there has been a sea change since Amiram Roth-Deblon, director of global business initiatives at developer and EPC contractor juwi.

This is partly driven by demands from Paris Agreement – calling for global warming to be limited to well below 2˚C preferably to 1 5˚C – that have reached the C-suite of many mining companies…Read More…