Copper ore conveyor belt producing electricity

       

Further reading

• Article 'High-Altitude Profits' from Siemens website (201)

Rocks travelling down to the smelter produce 90 GWh a year

At the Los Pelambres opencast Copper Mine in Northern Chile, carbon free electricity is produced in a very original way. Crushed rock containing copper ore is used to generate electricity as it travels down from the high-altitude mine to the processing plant located in the valley below.

The conveyor belt transporting the ore is 1.80 metres wide and 13 kilometres long, going from an altitude of 3,200 metres above sea level down to 1,600 metres. The ten drive motors of the belt consume power only if the belt is carrying less than 800 metric tons of ore per hour. During full operation, the belt carries 8,700 metric tons an hour and functions in generation mode, providing up to 17 MW of power.

In 2007, the belt produced 90 GWh of electrical energy, equivalent to 15% of the mine’s own power needs. One could argue whether this type of electrical energy is truly renewable or not, but it certainly qualifies as zero carbon emission. The system saves about 50,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. It not only reduces the environmental impact of the mine, it also reduces electricity costs, making the site one of world’s most profitable mining operations.