The potential use of ground energy in the mining industry-exploration to closure

摘要

The mining industry is subject to significant drivers, both economic and environmental, for reducing traditional energy use, which has resulted in a corresponding interest in renewable and alternative sources of energy. Ground energy systems make use of the heat energy in 'ambient' temperature soil, rock and groundwater beneath a mine site and are an established low and zero carbon (LZC) technology widely used to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with the heating and cooling of buildings. Currently few ground energy applications have been applied on mining projects. It is postulated that there may be a missed opportunity because many mine sites already have features, such as groundwater from dewatering systems, borehole networks, pit lakes and settlement ponds which can be used as part of the ground collector elements of these systems. This paper identifies potential ground energy heating and cooling sources on mine sites, including natural ground, static water bodies, backfilled workings and dewatering systems. If these potential heating/cooling sources can be exploited by matching with on-site or off-site heat demands (such as heating of mine camps and following closure residential properties or agricultural greenhouses) and cooling demands (mine camps in many parts of the world and the working environment in many "deep" hard rock mines), there may be opportunities to reduce energy costs, improve environmental performance and potentially provide additional revenue streams to mine operators.