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- Future demand for power for African mining could reach up to 23,443 megawatts (MW) in 2020 according to World Bank Group.
- Compared with grid-supply in 2012, mining demand in 2020 could be as much as 35 per cent.
- Vergnet’s integrated renewable solutions enable mining companies to meet sustainability goals while also securing a reliable energy supply and a reduced long-term energy price.
Mining activities require large amounts of power to run their systems, so much so that power is rarely less than 10 percent of the operating costs of mining and often rises above 25 per cent. The future demand for power from mining in Africa could reach up to 23,443 megawatts (MW) in 2020 according to a new report by World Bank Group.
South Africa is projected to add sizable mining demand for power and grow at 3.5 per cent annually, the growth in other Sub-Saharan Africa countries, projected to be 9.2 per cent.
Even without taking South Africa into consideration, Southern Africa will have the highest power demand from mining, largely due to the important requirements in Mozambique and Zambia, followed by Central Africa and Western Africa. Mining demand in Guinea, Liberia, and Mozambique is expected to represent more than total non-mining demand by 2020, generating more pressure to close the supply gap.
Compared with grid-supply in 2012, mining demand in 2020 could be as much as 35 per cent.
With energy generally accounting for 20-40 per cent of operating costs, reducing electricity expenditure is now a major operational and strategic goal for the mining industry.
Vergnet’s integrated renewable solutions enable mining companies to meet sustainability goals while also securing a reliable energy supply and a reduced long-term energy price.
Costs and risk associated with the purchase, transport and storage of fossil fuels, such as oil, are avoided and provide significant energy savings with renewable solutions. Excess energy generated by renewables could be redistributed back into the grid for additional income, or supplied to near-by communities as a basic social amenity.
Vergnet’s Nouadhibou wind farm in Mauritania was commissioned for Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (SNIM), Africa’s second largest producer of iron ore. Considering the powerful wind potential of the Nouadhibou site (8.78m/s at hub height), SNIM decided to diversify onsite power generation through the development and installation of a wind farm.
The wind farm consists of 16 Vergnet GEV MP-C, 275kW turbines and produces in total 4.4MW. Since commissioning in 2013, the Nouadhibou wind-diesel plant reaches an average renewable power penetration of 30%, with peaks at 50%
Click here for more information on Vergnet’s mining industry solutions.