Abstract

Mining and mineral processing are energy intensive operations, with high carbon footprints. Mineral Industry uses electrical energy for comminution and mining uses diesel for haulage.  Electrification of haulage can reduce the need for diesel, while increasing the demand for electricity at the mine site. Electricity, however, should be produced from green sources in order to actually reduce the carbon footprint of the operation. In Northern British Columbia, there are a number of mining activities and planned mining projects, which are in high demand of green power.  Mining operations, which are far from the provincial power grid, need to generate electricity at or near their operations.  Considering that mining needs base-load power, it cannot rely on intermittent sources of power, such as wind and solar. The only source of green baseload power in northern British Columbia and southern Yukon is geothermal energy. Heat flow data obtained from temperature measurements in exploration holes and oil and gas wells, show that a medium-grade geothermal resource can be accessed at depths 1500 to 3000m in Northern BC and Southern Yukon. These resources can be used  for power generation at a competitive price, using the binary geothermal power technology. This paper delineates the most viable geothermal zones in the Northern BC and southern Yukon, which can be used for power generation at a cost significantly less than diesel. Best locations and most suitable extraction technologies are identified, and the levelized cost of power generation is projected, using a 20 year cash flow model.  It is shown geothermal power can be generated at a cost of 10 to 15 cents per kWh, which is significantly lower than the price of diesel and compares well with LNG. While the geothermal facilities will be primarily used for mining operations, they can remain in place as mining legacies to help with continued green economic development in the region.