Tag Archives: HF Sinclair

Rio Tinto-Kennecott

Rio Tinto to move to 100% renewable diesel at Kennecott copper operation

Base metals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto will replace its entire fossil diesel consumption with renewable diesel at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah from 2024, the mining company has confirmed.

Kennecott’s fleet of 90 haul trucks and all heavy machinery will begin to transition to renewable diesel in the March quarter of 2024, along with consumption from the concentrator, smelter and refinery. HF Sinclair is set to provide the fuel.

The transition will reduce Kennecott’s Scope 1 carbon emissions by approximately 495,000 t/y of CO2 equivalent, comparable to eliminating the annual emissions of more than 107,000 passenger cars.

The renewable diesel is made from renewable biogenic materials sourced in the US. It will be supplied through the existing diesel supply chain, as part of a continuing partnership between Kennecott and HF Sinclair.

Rio Tinto Copper Chief Operating Officer, Clayton Walker, said: “Transitioning Kennecott completely to renewable diesel builds on a suite of decarbonisation initiatives that have reduced carbon emissions from the operation by 65% since 2019. This is an important next step in our commitment to finding new and better ways to reduce operational emissions, while producing materials essential to the global energy transition.”

HF Sinclair Executive Vice President, Commercial, Steven Ledbetter, said: “As a long-time supplier of Rio Tinto and a fellow operator in the Rocky Mountain region, we are pleased to support Rio Tinto’s sustainability journey with a low-carbon fuel made at our facilities. This is a great step demonstrating our continued progress to meet the evolving energy needs of our customers.”

Rio Tinto is targeting reductions in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions of 50% by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Rio Tinto Chief Decarbonisation Officer, Jonathon McCarthy, said: “Combined with Rio Tinto’s U.S. Borax operation – which completed the full transition of its heavy machinery from fossil diesel to renewable diesel in May 2023 – this initiative would replace 11% of Rio Tinto’s global fossil diesel consumption with renewable diesel.

“The use of drop-in fuel such as renewable diesel will allow Rio Tinto to reduce emissions in the short term, complementing ongoing work towards the commercial readiness of longer-term technical solutions such as battery electric haul trucks.”

The decision to convert to renewable diesel comes after a successful seven-month trial at Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon mine. This trial was conducted in collaboration with Cummins to test renewable diesel in different operational environments and on different equipment which supported the decision of OEM to approve the use of renewable diesel in Rio’s equipment.

Petro-Canada Lubricants releases PRODURO TO-4+ UHP fluid to boost equipment productivity

Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , ,

Petro-Canada Lubricants, an HF Sinclair brand, has launched PRODURO™ TO-4+ UHP, a multi-purpose synthetic all-season transmission, hydraulic, drive line and wet brake fluid for heavy-duty mobile equipment that, the company says, increases equipment productivity and decreases operating costs.

Developed to improve the performance of mining and construction equipment operating in extreme conditions, PRODURO TO-4+ UHP maximises durability and equipment protection at elevated system temperatures and in severe operating conditions, it says.

Offering improvement in High Temperature High Shear and in-service viscosity, as well as the potential to safely extend oil drain intervals, PRODURO TO-4+ UHP can deliver significant cost savings for equipment operators, Petro-Canada Lubricants claims.

During a more than two-year long customer trial, the fluid demonstrated the ability to meet the requirements of the Caterpillar TO-4 specification, increase equipment life by up to 6% and deliver significant cost savings based on 25 units for a large Canadian mine operating across two sites, according to the company.

The advanced fluid can also eliminate seasonal change-outs for hydraulics, wet brakes, drive trains and transmissions without compromising the lubricant performance or equipment wear. Due to the fluid’s ability to prolong equipment life, PRODURO TO-4+ UHP can also help support a mining operation’s sustainability goals, the company says.

Sharon Perichak, Segment Marketing Manager for Mining at Petro-Canada Lubricants, said: “PRODURO TO-4+ UHP is a game changer. Working closely with our trial partner, we developed this fluid to extend transmission life and hours of service while reducing running costs. For years we have been supporting mining operators and equipment owners to overcome their lubricant challenges and optimise equipment performance. This ethos and collaborative approach has been at the forefront of the innovation and development behind PRODURO TO-4+ UHP and we are delighted to offer equipment operators the step-change in protection the transmission fluid delivers.”