Energy Provider Addresses Power Factor

Q: What impact has the Energy Reform had on the mining sector?

A: The Energy Reform is an immense advantage for operators to exploit additional resources, such as gas, that arise naturally from the exploitation of minerals. It has brought a new wave of opportunities for the mining industry in the country. The Energy Reform was wellwritten thanks to the fact that it adopted international best practices. It applies lessons learned from mistakes made in countries like Spain, where the renewable-energy sector is relatively unsuccessful compared to the country’s total energy demand. The mining sector’s reaction to the reform could be more aggressive.

The minority that is properly taking advantage of the open doors tend to be large operators that have enough resources to expand into other sectors. For instance, Grupo México and Industrias Peñoles are creating additional companies that are not related to mining to enter the oil and gas industry. Valmex, an energy subsidiary of Industrias Peñoles, was created in the beginning of 2016 and is already starting to invest in new projects. Other companies like Grupo México are starting to invest in wind farms. Industrias Peñoles is one of our main clients.

We hope to grow in the Mexican market similarly to the way we did in the UK, which was our main market for many years. In the last two years, we managed to sell around 3.5GW in the UK alone. We own 40 -45 percent of the market.

Q: How do you perceive the mining industry at the moment?

A: The mining industry is going through a transformation that requires the development of new products. There is a particular need for automated products considering market conditions. However, there are new Canadian companies entering Mexico without properly understanding the nuances. The Canadian government offers a significant amount of support to companies that want to enter Mexico so operators that feel comfortable with this safety net are less likely to take the necessary precautions. Companies such as Grupo México, Peñoles and Goldcorp have lowered investment in the sector.

Q: In what ways can your products and services help the mining industry?

A: We can help the Mexican mining sector by providing products that generate the additional energy that is required in mine sites. The power factor can be an issue in mines when an area does not have enough energy to meet the demands of the operation. Transmission lines can be damaged and machines tend to overheat. Our products create a better flow of energy. The greatest advantage we offer is that our products can work continuously day and night without requiring sunlight. The extra generation of energy can improve the efficiency and productivity of mines. It also helps reduce the likelihood of fines for noncompliance with environmental guidelines. Our products inject reactive power in motors to close the power factor gap in mines.

Q: What products or services are you promoting to the mining sector?

A: We not only sell products but also solutions that help move mines into automated processes. In Chile, automated conveyor belts are our specialty. We adapt to underground and open-pit mines. The company can also support the extraction process by providing products that extract the naturally occurring water.

Our main product is the medium voltage drive and most of our work revolves around controlling the motors of a mine. The product is particularly important as motors need to be able to support the load of the material that is on the conveyor belts. Our motors are not made to only offer speed but also durability. When we design our products, we take into consideration the speed and weight of the material that needs to be processed.