Abstract
The current focus within the mining industry is environmental stewardship by way, in part, of decarbonization. The main target has been transitioning away from diesel fuel and towards electrification. This route, however, brings its own challenges due to the current technology and infrastructure. Mine sites must consider their impact on the power grid while ensuring they are able to run their fleet at a high level of availability and utilization. This brings many questions including:
- What power source provides the best reliability?
- Considering the different energy options for running equipment, how quickly must energy transfer occur and how much capacity must equipment have for this energy?
- Where and how should this energy transfer occur?
- How does equipment energy types impact the target of net-zero emissions?
Each mine site is unique with its own footprint and requirements. Production levels are different, orebody formation is different, and the location of infrastructure is different. These differences need to be considered when answering the above questions. The importance of Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is highlighted by its flexibility so these unique characteristics can be included in a simulation model. This simulation model is the key to answering the above questions. Decision makers should be able to utilize data as a way to understand how both the mine and the environment are impacted. Often, multiple scenarios should be considered as a way to optimize each input and reduce the overall negative impact on the environment without compromising the mine requirements. This presentation will outline how Discrete Event Simulation can be used to create reliable data on decarbonization initiatives on fleets so decisions makers can have confidence that they are implementing an optimal solution.