Aggreko, a leading provider of mobile and modular power solutions, has successfully deployed a remote power project at an exploration project in Canada using its virtual pipeline power approach.
The solution enabled Labyrinth Resources Limited to complete a challenging mining exploration project while reducing CO2 emissions and fuel costs, according to the company.
Labyrinth needed remote power for a five-month gold mining exploration project. The site is in a remote location on the Quebec–Ontario border, where no grid power is currently available. Temperatures in the region fall as low as -30°C. In addition to extremely low temperatures, the high cost of diesel fuel was also a concern. Labyrinth needed a portable power solution that would operate in the site’s harsh environment using a better fuel source.
Aggreko assessed the need and conditions and recommended a virtual pipeline power system to deliver compressed natural gas (CNG). The company set up a CNG power plant by installing two 300 kW natural gas generators and a 60 kW diesel generator to deal with peak loads. The virtual pipeline approach facilitated smoother delivery of CNG by way of 48 ft (14.6 m) containers trucked to the mine site.
During its five-month operation, the Aggreko virtual pipeline power solution reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 75 tons (68 tonnes) versus diesel generators, reduced NOx emissions by 10 tons, and saved over $300,000 in fuel costs. This allowed the customer to put more resources into the mining exploration itself, with a significant reduction in emissions to meet local regulations and avoid fines, Aggreko says.
“We appreciate the support of the Aggreko team,” Matt Nixon, CEO of Labyrinth Resources, said. “The selection of a lower-emission fuel source for our power requirements aligns with Labyrinth Resources ESG policies and reinforces that sustainable solutions for our operations are decision drivers, as opposed to afterthoughts.”
Geoff Bland, Product Manager for Power Generation and Energy Storage at Aggreko, said: “At Aggreko, we have deep experience in powering remote locations and providing clean CNG power. Our equipment and engineers were fully capable of dealing with harsh conditions and reducing emissions.”
Steve Stafford, Sales Leader for Manufacturing and Mining at Aggreko North America, added: “The mining industry is undergoing an energy transition as it moves towards integrating renewable and alternative fuel solutions. The Aggreko virtual pipeline power solution allowed the customer to get the job done faster, more cost-effectively, and with a significant reduction in emissions.”
Labyrinth is an Australia-based resource company with projects in Western Australia and Canada. The company is focused on Labyrinth and Denain gold projects that are some 230 km apart along highway 117 and situated in a mining jurisdiction hosted by the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The Denain project is 60 km east of the town of Val d’Or and comprises 13 claims across a tenure area of 360 ha at the eastern abutment of the Cadillac-Larder Lake Fault, which also hosts the Canadian Malarctic gold mine. The mineralisation at Labyrinth gold project is hosted within east-west trending quartz veins that can be traced for at least 1.4 km along strike and run parallel with the trend lithology.