Sustainability The Renewable Power of the mine

Release of the new report: “The Renewable Power of the Mine”

The Renewable Power of the Mine – Launch of the most comprehensive and up-to date report on how mining companies have integrated renewables in their mining operations, the roadblocks that still exist, and the future trends that are likely to further drive the roll-out of renewables to supply electricity to mine sites.

Access to affordable and reliable energy is key for the mining sector and with rising mineral demand and falling ore grades, energy demand is estimated to increase by 36% by 2035. Today, energy produced and procured by mining companies is mostly fossil fuel based. This will have to change if the sector is to contribute to the decarbonization of the world economy, needed for countries to meet the target adopted at the Paris Agreement of keeping global temperatures from rising more than 1.5-2 degrees Celsius.

At the same time, the costs of solar, wind and battery storage systems have been falling at an unprecedented scale, which has encouraged an increasing number of mining companies to test these technologies at their mine sites. 38 case studies are featured in the report to highlight practical examples and lessons learned. Recommendations to address the outstanding roadblocks are included for governments, mining companies, independent power producers and donors.

The report was produced by the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment (External link) with funding by German Cooperation. It contributes directly to a new Climate Smart Mining strategy which is currently being developed by the World Bank in cooperation with GIZ.

For further information please contact Johannes Lohmeyer. (External link)