Pushing the limits of mining innovation: first wind turbine with energy storage in the Arctic
Mr Jean-François Verret (Director Projects and Exploration - Glencore - Mine Raglan)
Relate past experiences and vision of Energy Development in a mining operation located in the Quebec Arctic. On August 4th 2014 ended the construction of the largest and only wind turbine in Northern Quebec installed on Raglan mine property. This nickel mine is the largest source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the Canadian Arctic. It produces more than 100,000 tonnes of GHGs per year. The mine is so isolated that it operates outside the network. All its power comes from powerful generators which consume more than 45 million liters of diesel per year. To reduce its dependence on diesel, the mine turned to wind power with energy storage (hydrogen, batteries and flywheel). After over a year of operation, the results are beyond expectations. For over a year the wind has allowed the mine to reduce 2.5 million liters of diesel consumption, which represents more than 6000 tons of GHG savings! A 4 minute video will be presented in order to demonstrate specifically the various construction phases of the project.
