Resource World Magazine

56 www.resourceworld.com a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 5 alTErNaTivE e n e r g y r e V i e W Developments in Alternative Energy by Jane Bratun Renewable eneRgy key option foR mine opeRatoRs According to the Jakarta Post in Jakarta, Indonesia, renewable energy is becom- ing a viable complementary option for mines. Renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind, and solar are being incorporated into broader power supply portfolios, and not only in Indonesia, but in key mining regions around the world, such as the US, Canada, Australia, and Chile. Renewable energy can complement power generation from diesel, which remains in Indonesia, as the Post notes, a non-subsidized fuel at mines and at significant expense. Diesel cost is most pronounced in remote areas where grid power is unavailable. Delivering diesel fuel to remote sites in central and eastern Kalimantan, for example, as well as to the islands in eastern Indonesia, is challenged by inadequate infrastructure, and often delayed further by harsh weather. Grid connection, if available, is preferable but supply reliability and consistency remain critical to mining operations. Blackouts have unforgiving effects on a mine's 24/7 productivity. The Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources ministry has urged mining companies to develop their own thermal or renewable power supplies. The alterna- tive to self-sufficiency is to source through privately financed Independent Power Producers, a group earmarked to develop 25,000 megawatts (MW) of the 35,000 MW planned by the Indonesian government by 2019. Integrating renewable energy into a tra- ditional coal-fired or diesel power supply can reduce expensive fuel consumption by generating electricity when the sun is shining. When the renewable system is not generating power, diesel generators meet the mine's energy demands without interruption. Improving the power supply secu- rity offers significant cost-containment. Favorable environmental factors, such as plentiful solar or hydropower make renew- ables a sensible addition to the mining operation's power portfolio mix. Some mining companies have already invested in alternative energy sources for their mines. Barrick Gold Corp. [ABX- TSX, NYSE] has an $8.5 million wind turbine that provides up to 20% of power requirements for its Veladero Mine in Argentina. Approximately 15% of electric power used at Barrick's mines around the world is generated from renewable sources such as wind, solar and bio-fuels. Dominion Diamond Corp. [DDC-TSX, NYSE] and Rio tinto plc [RIO-NYSE, ASX, London] have built a 9.2 MW wind farm at their Diavik diamond mine 300 km north- east of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The $33 million project utilizes four ENERCON wind turbines that have been integrated into the mine's existing diesel- powered system, saving the partners $5-6 million annually in fuel costs and provid- ing about 11% of the mining operation's power needs. advances in eneRgy stoRage tesla Motors [TSLA-NASDAQ] founder, Elon Musk, just unveiled Tesla Energy, an ambitious plan to power the world with a new design of home battery, called the Powerwall, designed to make more consum- ers less dependent on the grid. The newly designed Powerwall, produced at Tesla's new Nevada Gigafactory, will be available in "three or four months" through various installation partners. It will cost around $3,500 – and can theoretically be scaled "infinitely," Musk says, all the way up to industrial and utility level. The larger server-sized, industrial-level battery will be called a Powerpack. "Our goal is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy," Musk told a press conference at the Tesla Design Center recently. "It sounds crazy, but we want to change the entire energy infrastructure of the world to zero carbon." Powerwall is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels. It charges when utility rates are low, and then powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup electricity supply. The average home uses more electric- ity in the morning and evening than

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