Valle del Cauca is one of the strong mining departments in Colombia, especially for the extraction of construction materials.
However, other minerals such as coal, limestone, precious metals, industrial minerals, metals, precious stones, among others, are also strongly positioned in the sector.
The great paradox today is that despite the great need around the world for this type of mineral, the mining sector is one of the major pollutants of the environment.
Reason, which has led different Valle del Cauca companies to decide to adhere to the objectives outlined within the Paris Agreement to promote the development of sustainable, inclusive and integrated mining as a new solution to this extractive activity.
It should be noted that the Departmental Administration confirmed that the Cauca’s Valley It has the first Departmental Plan for Environmental Mining Management that determines the roadmap to achieve environmentally friendly mining practices.
This issue is one of the great commitments of Azimut Energía in the country, an expert company in energy efficiency projects in different industrial sectors, and that made the purpose of promoting this issue in the Valle del Cauca region and throughout Colombia, carrying out projects with companies of the stature of Prominerales, Argos, Arisol, Avensa, Aggregates, Conasfaltos, Mineros SA, Pavimentar, Carbones San Fernando, among others.
One of the great success stories, says César Cardona, Energy Management Manager of Azimut Energía, is Industrial Conconcreto, in which through an energy efficiency plan that was carried out in four steps: buy and use energy well, digitization of assets and on-site generation of renewable energy, managed to lower more than 40% of kilowatt hour (kWh) consumption for each ton produced at a mine in Girardota, Antioquia.
“From different Big Data, Cloud and AI technologies, and multivariable baseline analysis, we are measuring more or less 96% of the mine in this region, which allows us to improve different processes in the use of different equipment , in order to reduce the productivity indicator of kilowatt hours required to produce a ton of material”, explains Cardona.
The expert also adds that they are now going to develop three solar energy projects on this site, which will allow about 30% of the energy used in the equipment to be clean and renewable. “For now, we have already installed the first 92 kW peak project, and in total savings of more than $130 million/year will be generated.”
The minerals
According to a Weir Group report, which includes more than 40 sectoral studies, the volume of greenhouse gas emissions due to the massive use of fossil energy in this sector can reach 3.5% of global energy. .
It is important to understand that minerals go through different production processes that include extraction, benefit and/or transformation, which requires energy that is used mainly in direct heat technologies and motive power for drilling, blasting, loading and hauling activities, classification , drying, among others, as explained in the report of the Indicative Action Plan Program for the Rational and Efficient Use of Energy (Proure), carried out by the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (Upme).
For example -the report shows-, for the energy consumption of nickel production there is a high percentage of participation of natural gas (54%), followed by electricity (42%), diesel and gasoline (4%). “Regarding energy consumption for coal mining, it is evident that diesel is the energy with the highest consumption, followed by electricity.”
Taking this situation into account, extracting companies, environmental organizations and public entities in several countries are beginning to be an example of the development of sustainable mining. Such is the case in Peru, where the Quellaveco mining project is being carried out, which became the first to start the transformation of its energy matrix in this country and other models can also be found in Chile and Brazil.
In the energy efficiency simulation exercise carried out by Upme for the mining sector, where good practices and technological change are taken into account, being able to carry out a massive efficiency plan would reduce more than 771 tons of CO2 by 2030.
Julio Betancourt, Product Manager of Azimut Energía, assures that energy efficiency and sustainable mining development plans can build a path towards a better world. Where the truth is that in the future it will require a greater extraction of minerals to make electric cars or renewable energy projects, but it can be achieved in a more conscious way where it is essential to make efficient use of energy.
Something that is also confirmed by the World Bank within its research, where it pointed out that mineral production could increase by 500% by the year 2050. It is even highlighted that more than 3,000 million tons of minerals and metals will be needed to Deploy the wind, solar and geothermal power, as well as energy storage, needed to achieve a future below 2°C.
That is why, the more Valle del Cauca companies in the sector join the change, the greater the positive impact on the environment and the better the possibilities of economic growth in the country.
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