Techno-economic analysis of application of alternative energy solutions in remote mining operations

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Remote mining operations that have no access to the North American electrical grid and natural gas pipelinesrely heavily on fossil based power generation. Not only does this reliance increase their operating costs andsubject the mine-sites to fuel supply and price volatility, but it also results a substantial carbon footprint.Renewable energy systems offer a unique solution, as they reduce reliance on fossil fuels, as well assignificantly lower carbon emissions. The main barriers to greater renewable energy penetration at remoteoff-grid mining operations are higher upfront costs and uncertainty over long-term economic and technologicalviability.Fireweed Zinc Ltd., a Canadian based mining and exploration company, is conducting a preliminary economicassessment on one of their properties in the Yukon territory, and is intent on exploring alternative energysolutions to supply power to their prospective mine-site. The site is in a remote location, without access to theprovince's electrical grid, therefore a unique opportunity is presented to explore the use of renewable energytechnologies to partially, or fully, offset fossil based power generation. Experts at the University of BritishColumbia and Fireweed Zinc Ltd. believe that using a hybrid energy system should sufficiently supply power tothe mine-site, and replace use of the far more polluting diesel generating-sets. Therefore, Fireweed Zinc Ltd.has asked researchers at the University of British Columbia to help them with conducting the techno-economicanalysis of this hybrid energy system. Fireweed Zinc Ltd. is interested in implementing the result of thisresearch project in remote mining operations.Experts at Fireweed Zinc Ltd. and researchers at the University of British Columbia will work collaborativelyto improve this novel, yet immature technology with a comprehensive techno-economic feasibility study.Energy profiles of operating remote mines will be studied in terms of their on-site energy generationmethodology and associated costs, to better perceive and shape the nature of prospective solutions. By