ACCIONA delivers renewable energy solutions for the mining industry

The mining sector is a point of reference in terms of energy consumption and emissions. Mining's large-scale operations require a permanent and competitively-priced energy supply; at the same time, they need to reduce their emissions while increasing their production rate.

Situations differ across the globe, but they all have something in common: in the short, medium and long term, depending on individual cases, the mining industry needs to step up its use of clean energy. ACCIONA has what it takes, now and in the future, to help solve this problem.

Chile is a prime example of the mining-renewables tandem. In Chile mining companies, mainly copper, account for one third of all national energy consumption and up to 80% in the regions in which their operations have a larger presence. In revenue terms, they are major companies in a sector in which global demand is continually on the increase and outstripping availability, which leads to recurring rises in mineral export prices.

The need for new mining facilities to meet demand will lead to increased energy consumption in Chile-the forecast is for a 52% rise in the period 2008-2020. The question now is how to cover the increasing demand in an efficient and profitable way without increasing carbon emissions, which may penalize the country and its mining sector in the international community.This is where renewable energies come into their own-and on an ever-increasing scale. Renewables are increasingly more efficient and, with costs on the wane, they are set to compete with the prices of traditional energies (currently high in Chile owing to the country's particular energy mix) which are based more and more on coal and fuel oil after a series of failed attempts at obtaining low-priced gas from Argentina.

The situation in Australia-another global mining power- is different. The country is not faced with energy supply problems. But it does need to lay down the foundations for a greater presence of renewables in a country where more than 90% of energy production is based on fossil fuels. Mining companies contribute to this situation by accounting for 9% of Australia's total energy demand.

Introducing sector-specific renewable energy solutions in Chile, Australia and other countries, will help the global mining industry to join the international trend towards making the planet more sustainable.

Related articles:

• Australia
• Chile