Mining low carbon commodities and climate change mitigation. Why renewables will turn mines into hospitals of the planet?

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Arnoldus M van den Hurk

R4mining, Spain

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

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No mining, no renewables. No renewables means there's no climate change mitigation. Low carbon society involves high polymetallic society and it implies a high share of renewables and energy storage in the mining and oil industries. Energy intensity due to decreasing ore grade is challenging these industries worldwide. Renewables reduce power cost and they emerge as one of the best allies to miners, not only in terms of power cost but GHG emissions mitigation and social license fulfilment. We will make a trip to five continents analysing models and examples of how renewable energies and energy storage are characterizing the new mining of the XXI century; diamond mines in Canada, copper in Chile, zinc in Peru, aluminium smelting in Iceland, coal in India, platinum in South Africa or gold and quartz sands in Australia. However, the real challenge doesn't locate intrinsically in the mining facilities but in the people. Miners aren't prepared to become medical doctors of the planet. The real challenge is skilling capacitation because there is a knowledge gap in universities and business schools, in mining training departments or in mining trade unions around the globe. And we need cross this chasm to save the world. Due to this fact, we will analyse how intense capacitation boot camps, online training and mentoring should become the key to overcome this knowledge gap in adopting the XXI century new scenario. Time to build low carbon mines and commodities is arriving as well as the moment to trigger to engineers to transform in the planet's doctors. With low carbon mining, we will deploy enough renewables to mitigate climate change

Biography

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Arnoldus M van den Hurk has received his PhD in Geology from University of Barcelona and University of Tübingen in 1989, MBA from IEDE, Madrid and Shanghai in 1992. He is an Expert Authority in renewables and mining. He has professional experience in the environmental, petroleum and mining geology. He has worked for several years as Researcher, Economic and Financial Analyst on mining projects in Europe, South America, Africa and China. He has worked in the field of renewable energies for 15 years, in four continents. In the last 5 years, he was in charge of workshops for renewables and mining summits (Toronto, Santiago, Johannesburg, London, Perth, Lima, and Astana). He has published many papers in professional magazines in Spain, Chile, Perú, Canada and Australia and managed Renewables and Mining LinkedIn group with 1,260 members of 86 nationalities.

E-mail: info@renewables4mining.com