Danfoss recently participated in the Electra Mining Africa 2024 exhibition, highlighting its latest innovations, sustainable solutions and commitment to supporting the African mining industry’s journey toward decarbonisation. “The mining sector across the globe currently finds itself in the position of performing a balancing act − on the one hand striving to reach zero-net emissions before 2025, and on the other still having to increase production to meet growing demand,” explains Craig Rapson, global business development director for Mining, Minerals and Cement at Danfoss South Africa.
“The International Energy Agency notes that mineral requirements for clean energy technologies would need to quadruple by 2040 to reach the Paris Agreement goal of a global temperature rise of well below 2°C. Mining and minerals processing is a very energy-intensive industry, and with mining production expected to take a significant upward trajectory, this energy demand will also rise, which of course is the opposite of what is needed to achieve future decarbonisation.
“Changing the way in which we deliver energy to the mines will be pivotal in achieving these sustainability goals. However, it will take enormous investment for a large-scale transition to alternatives such as solar PV, wind, electrolysers and energy storage systems. We should also keep in mind that none of these energy alternatives will make the mining processes operate in a more energy-efficient way,” Rapson continues.
This can seem like an overwhelming challenge for mining companies. Nevertheless, there are steps that can be taken today, with minimum investment, that will pave the way to a sustainable increase in productivity. This can be achieved through improvements in system reliability, proactive maintenance programmes, intelligent performance monitoring of critical assets, and system level optimisation to deliver premium performance and efficiency.
Looking specifically at the role of variable speed drives (VSDs), Rapson maintains that this technology holds a great deal of potential for helping to reduce worldwide energy consumption, particularly within the context of electric motors accounting for 50 to 75% of global electrical energy consumption.
“VSDs are not new technology, but the technological advancements within this space in recent years have been quite breathtaking, with increased efficiency, a smaller footprint, and intelligent functionality. While VSDs are not the cure-all for our CO2 challenges, if they are applied in the optimum way to mining applications, without detriment to the production, then the benefits can become much clearer.”
Practical solutions and applications for the local mining industry
Senior country sales manager, Sikantha Naidoo explains that Danfoss’s contribution to the mining sector is focused on improving operational efficiencies, reducing environmental impact, and ensuring the longevity and reliability of mining equipment.
Danfoss’ iC7 series represents a major leap forward in VSD technology and is particularly aimed at harsh environments. Designed to enhance efficiency and reliability, the iC7 will enable mining companies to meet their energy efficiency targets, while simultaneously ensuring operational excellence, with a focus on reducing CO2 emissions and saving energy. Highly compact and easy to integrate into existing solutions, the iC7 range provides efficient heat management, with back-channel cooling. Its intelligent security makes it ready for industrial IoT, thanks to hardware-based protection that prevents unauthorised access, and a crypto chip ensuring end-to-end encrypted data transfer.
Danfoss also focused on its full suite of mining solutions, including harmonic filters and advanced power systems that are key to improving performance and reducing downtime. Alongside its cutting-edge technologies, Danfoss emphasised its commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. “Sustainability is at the core of our business and value chain,” Naidoo adds. “We continue the transformation of our own business to meet the challenges and opportunities posed by the strengthening global megatrends: climate change, urbanisation, food and water supply, digitalisation and electrification. At the heart of these megatrends are societal and environmental changes in the world in which we do business.
“Danfoss integrates sustainability and ESG into everything we do. From our operations to the way we engineer solutions for our customers and our ability to attract people to lead the green transition, we focus on decarbonisation, circularity and diversity, equity and inclusion,” she concludes.
For more information contact Danfoss,
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