Tag Archives: renewable diesel

Rio Tinto completes conversion of Kennecott heavy mining fleet to renewable diesel use

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Rio Tinto has completed the transition from conventional to renewable diesel for all heavy mining equipment at its Kennecott copper mine in Utah, giving the mine one of the lowest carbon footprints of any copper producer in the US, it claims.

Kennecott’s fleet of 97 haul trucks and heavy machinery equipment at the mine, concentrator, smelter, refinery and tailings are now all fuelled by renewable diesel (a combination of 90% soybean and the remainder animal fat and used cooking oil) sourced in the United States. This is expected to reduce the mine’s Scope 1 emissions by 450,000 t, equal to eliminating the annual emissions of 107,000 cars. In addition, the switch to renewable diesel reduces PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns) emissions at the tailpipes of its haul truck fleet by 40%, a reduction equivalent to approximately 2,300 million miles of light vehicle travel annually.

“Kennecott has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any copper producer in the United States, thanks to recent initiatives such as the closure of a coal-fired power plant, installation of a 5 MW solar farm, deployment of battery-electric vehicles underground, and the transition to renewable diesel,” the company says. “The operation’s overall carbon footprint has now been reduced by more than 80% from 2018 levels.”

Speaking at an event on site with the Governor of Utah, Spencer J Cox, to celebrate the achievement, Rio Tinto Copper Chief Operating Officer, Clayton Walker, said: “The transition to renewable diesel is a significant step toward our decarbonisation goals at Kennecott where we have now reduced emissions by 80%, thanks to a range of initiatives in recent years. We remain committed to being responsible stewards of the environment and are always looking to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs for the energy transition.”

Kennecott’s transition to renewable fuel will also make low-carbon fuel more accessible in the state of Utah. In partnership with Kennecott, HF Sinclair is dedicating two tanks to renewable diesel for the mine with each having tank capacity of 18,000 barrels or 756,000 gallons.

HF Sinclair Executive Vice President, Commercial, Steven Ledbetter, said: “We’re proud to support Rio Tinto’s sustainability journey with a low-carbon fuel produced at our facilities. We’re excited to see Kennecott move from trial to full implementation and what this could mean for other industries with evolving energy needs.”

In 2023, Kennecott conducted an initial trial of renewable diesel, which compared two trucks using regular diesel against two using renewable diesel. Officials measured the trucks’ acceleration, cycle time, fuel usage and engine inspection reports. The renewable diesel was trialled successfully, complementing similar test findings from Rio Tinto’s Boron mine in California.

Combined with Rio Tinto’s Boron mine – which completed the full transition of its heavy machinery from fossil diesel to renewable diesel in May 2023 – renewable diesel use at Kennecott replaces 11% of Rio Tinto’s global fossil diesel consumption with renewable diesel.

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

Teck’s fleet decarbonisation ‘teenagers’ taking time to mature

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Canadian miner Teck Resources’ renewable diesel and diesel-hybrid heavy vehicle fuel programs are going to advance the company’s decarbonisation agenda while bolder mobile fleet options maybe take longer than expected to emerge from the “sandbox”, Mobile Fleet Decarbonisation Manager, Peter Wan, said at The Electric Mine 2024 this week.

Wan said at the event being held in Perth, Western Australia, for the first time that battery-electric vehicles and infrastructure, new-generation dynamic charging and other concepts were moving erratically, at times, along recently initiated development curves.

He used an analogy of teenagers moving along the path to adulthood, saying fleet decarbonisation generally was “but a twinkle in our collective eyes a few years ago.”

Now the progeny were “developing in ways we sometimes least expect.”

“The projects that we’ve got, and the technologies that we’re evaluating, cover the full spectrum of TRL [technology readiness levels],” Wan said. “We’ve got these teenagers, and we kind of understand as we bring them into the portfolio [and] do our evaluation…[that] things are changing. They’re changing for sure.

“We started off with trolley [assist] thinking that it was it was going to be fantastic as part of the transition. And we’re learning that, actually, it’s not easy in some of our operations. We’ve got to think about how we manage new risks. And of course, the commercials have got to all stack up.

“It’s one thing to say that we want to implement a battery-electric truck; we’ve got available juice [and] we’ve got all of the ecosystem in place. But it’s got to be cost competitive because at the end of the day we’re not going to put ourselves out of business for a new electric truck. So we’ve got to make sure that we understand all of the relevant metrics, and how we measure and validate them through the development process.”

Wan said change had been a constant in the 12 months since the last Electric Mine forum at Tucson, Arizona, in the US.

Glencore’s $6.9 billion pending acquisition of Teck’s metallurgical coal business – where the company was directing its battery-electric ultra-class truck focus – produced a change of thinking on that front.

“This is the revolution,” is how Wan described the various battery-electric behemoths moving through pilot testing into the field and, ultimately, into production scenarios.

“But it’s going to take a lot of moving parts to make this happen. You’ve got to be in it for the long haul. You’re not going to put this into a mine site that’s got five years of life or 10 years of life. This is something that you’re doing more likely at your Tier One assets. The sites that we have available for field testing have changed. Times change; we have to adjust.”

Wan agreed accelerating the maturation rate of BEVs was linked to market scaling of supporting infrastructure and ecosystem development, and “there’s some chicken and the egg” in that.

“We don’t have the trucks running so how can you test the infrastructure and the ecosystem without the trucks running?” he said. “And once the trucks are available how can you run them without that ecosystem being developed? There’s going to be some leapfrogging, [first] with the trucks that come in…and then the ecosystem. Then we’ll be able to start [operating the trucks] in a more realistic environment. But that’s going to take time.”

Wan warned established and emergent electric trolley-assist systems for haul trucks demanded forensic examination of mine plans and conditions to establish their real potential to prosper in different production scenarios.

“He’s high maintenance,” Wan said of the eldest “teenager” being nurtured by Teck. “That infrastructure is not going to be as easy as you might hope.”

Renewable diesel was “pretty easy.” “It’s laid back,” Wan said. “You can just order it and you’ll get your fuel delivery to site. It’s a short-term transitionary approach for most of us; really supported by government incentives if they’re available in your jurisdiction. Renewable diesel has been a star for us [in British Columbia where] where we’ve got a good understanding of the incentives. They’re attractive for us. We’re not running the renewable down in Chile yet because we don’t have that same cost benefit.”

Also part of Teck’s “bridging strategy” was hybrid diesel, “sort of a late bloomer in our portfolio.”

“We are working towards trials for hybrid,” Wan said. “You’re looking at potentially similar sorts of emission reductions as trolley, minus all of the infrastructure.”

Wan said the industry was on a collective journey of discovery with its shift away from deeply embedded diesel-equipment dependence and culture.

“Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate with your suppliers, with your consultants, with your partners, and with other miners as well, because we learn a lot from each other,” he said.

“[Introduction of] these decarbonisation technologies is not what we’re used to doing with steady-state commercial solutions. We really have to nurture them.”

This story was written by Richard Roberts of InvestMETS, one of The Electric Mine 2024 Supporting Partners

Vale and Petrobras to jointly investigate sustainable fuel use and CO2 capture, storage tech

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Vale has signed a “protocol of intent” with one of the largest oil and gas producers in the world, Petrobras, to develop low carbon solutions that could see the two assess joint decarbonisation opportunities, including the development of sustainable fuels – such as hydrogen, green methanol, biobunkers, green ammonia and renewable diesel – and C02 capture and storage technologies.

The agreement, which takes advantage of the technical expertise of both companies and their synergies, also includes potential commercial agreements for the supply of low-carbon fuels produced by Petrobras to be used in Vale’s operations, which could contribute to the company’s commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

Eduardo Bartolomeo, Vale’s CEO (on the right), said: “Brazil has all the necessary conditions to lead a large-scale development of low-carbon solutions and renewable fuels, such as green hydrogen and green methanol. Vale is firmly committed to reducing its carbon footprint and wants to be a protagonist in this journey, leveraging relevant actions for the energy transition in Brazil. This agreement with Petrobras fits perfectly into this context.”

Petrobras President, Jean Paul Prates (on the left), added: “Petrobras’ partnership with Vale will be strategic in driving the country’s energy transition. These are the two biggest Brazilian powers joining forces around a common purpose: to develop the most modern solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are going to leverage the production capacity, logistical structure and technological expertise of two national giants to boost the production and supply of more efficient and sustainable fuels. This is what we can call being a first mover to materialise our decarbonisation strategy, creating demand and scale for low-carbon solutions.”

This partnership, Vale says, can help it achieve its commitment to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieve neutrality by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.

Copper Mountain increases scope of trolley assist haulage project

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Copper Mountain’s 2021 ESG Report has highlighted the progress the company has made on its “net-zero journey”, with its ongoing trolley assist project in British Columbia, Canada, one of the key drivers towards hitting its major 2035 goal.

The company operates its namesake mine in BC, which has recently increased throughput to 45,000 t/d as part of this net-zero journey.

Earlier this year, the company commissioned its trolley assist project with the help of Komatsu, SMS, ABB, BC Hydro and CleanBC. This project, the first of its kind in North America and a key plank of Copper Mountain’s goal of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2035, was designed to support four full-sized, trolley-capable 830E-5 Komatsu trucks at a time with hauling ore up a 1-km section of ramp in the operation’s main pit to its primary crusher.

Since commissioning the project, the company has amended its plan to convert seven trucks to trolley assist operation, now saying a total of 11 trolley-capable Komatsu trucks will be available to use trolley assist in the pit.

Each truck is expected to reduce diesel use by approximately 400 litres per hour, the company says, which equates to approximately 1 t of CO2 emissions.

“The trolley assist system will reduce annual carbon emissions by 30% compared to 2019 levels,” Copper Mountain says. “This is based on calculated savings of 6,000 t CO2e/y for the initial seven trucks as calculated for the trial, which, when scaled to the full fleet of 28 trucks, would produce a savings of 24,000 t CO2e/y, or approximately 30% compared to 2019 levels.”

With additional trolley sections planned over the next five-to-seven years, Copper Mountain says it could see a reduction of carbon emissions of up to 50% compared with 2019 levels.

The fact the Copper Mountain Mine is connected to the BC electricity grid, which has one of the lowest carbon intensities in the world due to being powered by clean and reliable hydroelectric power, makes the trolley assist project even more ‘sustainable’.

The company says it has been working with BC Hydro to upgrade the power supply infrastructure to the Copper Mountain Mine to provide more power for trolley assist and future power demands as it decarbonises and explores additional ways to electrify its operation.

Alongside the trolley assist project, Copper Mountain says it is working with partners to reduce emissions from diesel-powered haul trucks.

In 2021, it established a partnership with Cummins, Komatsu and SMS to test the use of a renewable diesel in haul trucks, and it continues to advance other partnerships to further reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Outside of trucks, Copper Mountain said it has targets to electrify its shovels in 2023 and drills in 2024.

Also in 2021, Copper Mountain collaborated with the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and IBM to build a digital carbon emissions certification system called Mines Digital Trust. Using blockchain technology to attach ESG disclosures to metal production, this program enabled transparency along the supply chain and allowed third parties to track responsible producers through the Open Climate Network, led by the OpenEarth Foundation and the UN Global Innovation, the company said.

Shell on the future of fuel switching

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Mark Hannan, General Manager for Mining Decarbonisation at Shell, explores how mining operators can switch their fleets from diesel to low-carbon fuels as part of a wider transition to zero-carbon fuels.

The mining industry is in need of decarbonisation but delivering change at pace is a real challenge. There is huge pressure to achieve this when, it is estimated, 10% of the world’s energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from primary minerals and metals production, according to Nature Geoscience Magazine (2020).

For a mining company to achieve their decarbonisation goals, it is beneficial to maximise the benefits in the short term while providing greater flexibility for the long term. One such area that offers opportunities for this is fuel switching in mining fleets.

Decarbonisation drives the need for alternative fuels

No matter what stage a mining business has reached on its pathway to decarbonisation, it is important to review how its mobile assets impact the environment. McKinsey shows that between 40-50% of CO2 emissions in mining come from the diesel used for mobile assets.

Due to concerns around diesel fumes in confined spaces, the problem is largely being solved in underground sites – with some due to run entirely on battery-electric assets in the near term. In open-pit mines, where equipment is larger, emissions from diesel fuel are a challenge still to overcome, which is why fuel switching is essential to decarbonisation.

However, there are still many elements to consider when making the business case for alternative fuels. This includes the performance of alternative fuels in comparison with diesel, the capital investment needed to implement them and how widely available they are. That is before analysing the benefits of meeting emissions targets against the higher cost of using low-carbon fuels.

A net-zero future is coming, but it is not here yet

In the longer term, there are two diesel alternatives that will offer key routes to effective fuel switching: hydrogen and electricity.

Hydrogen is set to play a significant role in the decarbonisation of every industry – not least those featuring hard-to-abate sectors like mining. As well as reducing emissions in overall energy use across sites, hydrogen will provide a low-carbon alternative to diesel that also delivers higher energy density to drive the performance of mobile assets.

Government support for hydrogen power is growing rapidly and it is an area in which Shell is working closely with customers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to drive innovation and deliver supply at scale. However, with hydrogen supply dependent on elements such as the availability and cost of technology, land, water, storage and transport, it is an alternative that will only start to present real impact from 2030 and beyond.

For off-highway equipment in mining, fleet electrification is often seen as a more relevant near-term solution. This is not surprising as electric power can not only contribute to reduced emissions but also help businesses shift away from their exposure to volatile diesel prices – potentially leading to a positive impact on total cost of ownership (TCO).

To help deliver on the mining industry’s longer-term aspirations for fleet electrification, Shell is developing a suite of modular end-to-end solutions for mining heavy-duty vehicles that decarbonises haul trucks while minimising the operational impact of electrification in a scalable, interoperable and sustainable way.

When looking to make the switch to electrification, mining companies must address the significant escalation in power demand that would come with full-scale electrification. Also, they will want to know the electricity is generated from renewable sources – helping them to reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Electrification powered by renewable energy will be a significant driver of change for mining sites, which is why Shell is working to overcome the barriers to increasing its renewable capacity – such as the need for upgrades to the grid and storage capabilities.

Low-carbon fuels offer an immediate next step for mining businesses

Hydrogen and electrification represent the future of fuel for mobility in mining. But, in the short term, there is another alternative that can act as a transition fuel and help lower emissions while businesses wait for hydrogen and electricity to become viable at scale: low-carbon fuels.

There are two types of low-carbon fuels relevant to mobility in mining:

  • Biodiesel – also known as Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME); and
  • Renewable diesel – also known as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)

Though both are derived from organic biomass like waste vegetable oils and animal fats, there are differences in their chemical composition owing to a different manufacturing process that impact their use. For instance, biodiesel is the more affordable choice, yet most OEMs place a limit on the percentage it is possible to blend with conventional diesel due to quality concerns such as storage stability and performance in cold temperatures. Renewable diesel more closely resembles the composition of conventional diesel, meaning it can be blended in any ratio up to a concentration of 100%, but is more expensive due to the complexity in refinery processing. Crucially, both fuels offer a route to emissions reduction in mining – and a combination of the two is likely to be needed.

These low-carbon fuels offer a more immediate solution to the challenges of fleet decarbonisation in mining, without making costly investments in infrastructure. Not only can they be used in existing heavy-duty diesel engines, but, as long as they are in accordance with manufacturer advice, they also require no infrastructure investment. This makes them a more affordable short-term option that enables businesses to reduce emissions today while working to implement the ecosystem needed to transition to hydrogen and electricity tomorrow.

Overcoming the challenges of availability at scale

The merits of low-carbon fuels for a sites’ mobility needs might already be clear. After all, the technology is mature and it is easy to implement – certainly compared with hydrogen and electricity. However, there are still barriers to overcome before we see widespread adoption in the mining industry.

Availability and affordability are the two critical challenges. Despite its maturity, supply of low-carbon fuels is tight – especially given the remote regions that mining operations usually take place in. The need to comply with regional regulations on renewable fuels is also driving rising demand. For example, the EU Commission’s renewable energy directive has proposed increasing its target for renewable energy sources consumption by 2030 to 45% (up from its current goal of 32%).

Also, mining is not the only sector looking to alternative fuels to drive decarbonisation, meaning businesses will need to compete and trade with areas like commercial road transport to source low-carbon options. With more users needing access to alternative fuels, premiums for low-carbon fuels remain high. This can make low-carbon fuels less affordable and risks undermining any TCO improvements businesses can expect to realise from fuel switching.

It means that businesses are hesitant to act today as they wait for more capacity and greater competition to arrive – even though mining cannot afford to delay its emissions reduction efforts. That is why, at Shell, we are working to deliver additional capacity and competition. As well as investing in new production facilities (including a new biofuels facility in the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, which will produce sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel made from waste in The Netherlands once it comes onstream), we are using our existing relationships with OEMs to help mining businesses get the most out of the low-carbon fuels they do have access to.

Collaboration will be critical to fuel switching success

Ultimately, if mining businesses are to meet their regulatory responsibilities while driving performance, they will need to unlock the opportunity that fuel switching provides. From low-carbon fuels to electrification to hydrogen, there is huge potential to reduce emissions while improving the TCO of mining mobility.

Successful fuel switching will require close collaboration with partners and suppliers to create a new fuel ecosystem by improving the availability and affordability of alternatives to conventional diesel. Only by working together will we deliver a new fuel future for mining, which is why Shell Mining is committed to supporting the industry on every step of its decarbonisation journey.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Rio Tinto’s U.S. Borax starts 5,000-hour ‘renewable diesel’ trial on haul truck

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U.S. Borax has become the first site across Rio Tinto to trial “renewable diesel” fuel in one of its haul trucks, the company confirmed.

The Boron mine in California is currently conducting a 5,000-hour trial to ensure the truck’s performance meets its standards and that the renewable diesel does not impact the truck’s fuel system components life, it said. The renewable diesel is running on an mtu engine, it confirmed.

Renewable diesel, the company said, is a like-for-like replacement for the standard diesel that currently runs its trucks.

“The major difference with is that renewable diesel is manufactured using organic biomass, such as vegetable oil and a variety of waste including tallow and residues,” it said. “These materials are hydro-treated in the same manner as normal diesel, but the feed stock used means renewable diesel fuel produces significantly less emissions – between 70-80% less.”

Whereas biodiesel can only, typically, be used as a blend of up to 20% volume of normal diesel, renewable diesel can be used as a complete replacement or mixed with normal diesel, the company explained.

U.S. Borax, part of Rio Tinto, supplies around 30% of the world’s need for refined borates from its open-pit mine in Boron, California, about 160 km northeast of Los Angeles.