February 12, 2016, Vancouver, BC, Canada – Senior Engineer Keith Ainsley, based in Knight Piésold’s Vancouver office, presented a case study on developing hydroelectric facilities to help offset reliance on diesel fuel power generation at the Energy and Mines London Summit, held in London, UK on January 28–29, 2016. The presentation focused on recent work that Knight Piésold has been doing for Banro Corporation on developing hydroelectric assets for their mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also covered financing options, development models, energy savings expectations, and additional benefits that renewables can offer in boosting social license to operate and in creating a legacy asset.  

The Energy and Mines London Summit brought together mining and renewable energy leaders to discuss affordable and reliable low-carbon solutions for global mining operations. Solar and wind energy experts and developers made up a significant portion of the summit delegation with Knight Piésold being one of the few companies showcasing expertise in hydroelectric technologies.

The experts and developers in the energy for mines industry had a positive outlook overall, with several established mining companies developing in-house expertise on energy conservation and generation. There are several mining companies, however, that are struggling to develop feasible mine plans, especially when considering the high capital cost for developing renewables. In order to maintain shareholder confidence, mine plans are more often than not developed on the low capital (i.e., diesel generation plant) and high operating cost models in order to realize quick returns on investments. Investment in renewable energy for mine developments has been steadily increasing in recent years and even though several companies are still reluctant to move forward with these investments, they are still considering them in their studies. 

Knight Piésold is currently working on several active hydroelectric assignments in Sub-Saharan Africa that will help our clients offset their reliance on fossil fuels, reducing fuel cost uncertainties and lowering operating costs.

Photo courtesy of Energy and Mines.