Giving
energy waste the SLPP:
Ontario mines partner to improve
energy efficiency and save money
By Bryan Young
Do you have a leaky hot water tap in your home? A drop here, a drop
there…it's no big deal, right?
Wrong! A leaky tap, at one drop per second, wastes 800 litres of water per
month, not to mention the extra money you're spending to heat it. It all
adds up to the drip, drip, drip of your energy dollars going right down
the drain. Fixing it is just as easy as replacing a rubber washer that
costs a few pennies.
In much the same way, the Ontario Mining Association (OMA) and
Ontario Power Authority (OPA) have teamed up to fix another kind of small,
steady leak that wastes energy and costs mines thousands of dollars a
year. In this case, it isn't water but compressed air that is the
energy-guzzling culprit.
The Sustainable Leak Prevention Program (SLPP) now underway at three
northern Ontario mines will improve electricity efficiency, could help all
mining companies save hundreds of thousands of dollars in their
operations, and benefit other industries in Ontario that use compressed
air in their operations.
Ontario's mining industry spends more than $500 million each year for
energy, and this ranges from 15 to 30% of operating costs depending on the
type of mining operation. Compressed air systems, found in
underground mines, are one of the largest contributors to electricity
costs. Even small air leaks in these systems can increase
electricity costs substantially by causing compressors to overwork,
leading to wasted electricity and higher operating costs.
For example, a single tiny hole equal to 1/8" in diameter wastes air
at a rate of about 12 litres per second. Even at the low rate of 4
cents/KWh, this leak alone can waste more than $1000 per year - and those
in the industry know that most systems that use compressed air have many
leaks. Some plants experience a leak rate equal to 20 per cent of total
compressed air production capacity.
In a $532,000.00 project, the Ontario Mining Association will oversee
audits of compressed air systems at the Williams Mine in Hemlo near
Marathon, CVRD Inco's South Mine in Sudbury and FNX's McCreedy West Mine
also in Sudbury.
At the Williams mine, one of the largest gold-producing mines in Canada,
Employee/Public Relations Coordinator Roger Souckey says, "Compressed
air systems represent one of our greatest areas of operating and energy
inefficiency." He notes, "The longer a leak goes
undetected, the more compressed air and electricity we waste, and the less
efficiently our equipment operates. A key deliverable of the program will
be establishing a trigger mechanism that will prevent leaks by telling us
that preventive maintenance is required."
The Ontario Power Authority was created to help develop a sustainable,
competitive and reliable electricity system for the benefit of Ontario
consumers, as well as to help build a "culture of conservation"
in the province. Funding for 41 percent of the project comes from OPA's
Conservation Fund, with the balance provided by the OMA and participating
sites.
"It is our hope that this project will further the cause of energy
conservation both at work, and then at home, as Ontario's mining workforce
becomes more aware of the importance of saving energy in Ontario not just
to help the environment, but support industry through greater energy
efficiency," says Peter Love, OPA's Chief Energy Conservation
Officer.
The Conservation Fund was established to mobilize as many sectors of the
Ontario economy as possible to embrace a culture of conservation. The Fund
focuses on enabling conservation education and electricity reduction pilot
projects. The key learning points from each of the Conservation Fund
programs then shared across all sectors help spark similar programs in
other sectors or to build pilot programs into full-scale initiatives.
The Fund needs help designing future programs. Partnering with
groups like the OMA helps better promote energy efficiency and a culture
of conservation in Ontario. These projects also help build a
community of practice which will lead to better conservation programs for
everyone.
After little more than a year, the Ontario Power Authority's Conservation
Fund has provided $2.5 million to 37 electricity conservation projects in
a variety of sectors of the Ontario economy.
"In addition to identifying benchmarks and developing 'best
practices' for the mining industry to help them remain competitive in a
global economy, one of the key components of this program is also the
promotion of a culture of conservation within the mining industry
itself," says Project Manager Ivor da Cunha of LeapFrog Energy
Technologies Inc.
"Repairing compressed air leaks in the mine is a cost-effective way
to increase energy efficiencies and to ensure ongoing low-cost nickel
production," says Dave Tomini, Divisional Energy Coordinator at CVRD
Inco. "This initiative is in line with our continuing efforts
to build a sustainable future."
Dave Secord, Senior Maintenance Coordinator at FNX McCreedy West mine
says, "With training, and the management of this program, we are
hoping to detect the problems right away and turn this into a cost saving
in electricity as well as maintenance on our compressors."
Key findings of the audits will be presented to the OMA in March, with a
final report submitted to OPA in May.
Bryan Young is the Manager of the Conservation Fund at the Ontario Power
Authority. The Conservation Fund was established in 2005 to provide
funding for action-oriented, sector-specific electricity conservation
pilot projects that help build a culture of conservation in Ontario.
Since 2005, the Conservation Fund has provided $2.5 million to 37 projects
in a wide variety of sectors including mining, forestry, agriculture,
small business, schools, hospitals and religious institutions.
Every dollar of the funding has leveraged over two dollars in partner
support. The 2007 Conservation Fund budget is $3 million.
For more information, visit www.powerauthority.on.ca.
