Putting the Brakes on Energy Waste

With mining companies often located in remote areas away from CFE’s power grid, a substantial portion of their energy is generated by electric motors, which are relatively compact and can adapt to rough terrain. But approximately 60 percent of the energy consumed around the planet is used by industrial companies and 40 percent of this powers electric motors. According to Murilo Dalla, Business Development Manager of Danfoss, this implies a vast number of opportunities to promote efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

“Electric motors are a blessing for mining operations but they were created to only work at full speed,” he says. “Some companies try to control the speed through a fan or pump but these only manage the flow of the air. This method is similar to pressing a gas pedal on a car and attempting to manage the speed with the brakes.” He says these sorts of tools should only be used as a last resort because it is better to manage the source of the speed and that is how a drive can help save energy.

Danfoss, which first developed the expansion valve for refrigeration and air conditioning systems in 1933, is present across a variety of industries. It is divided into various segments such as drives, cooling, heating and power solutions. Danfoss Drives is a segment with a particular focus in the Mexican mining industry. As a drive specialist, it helps customers comply with harmonic mitigation issues that are important for electrical systems and production.

“Drives offer a way to manage speeds, eliminate unnecessary energy consumption and provide heat management,” says Dalla. “Our drives excel under mining conditions as these operations require large amounts of power and energy.” Danfoss can provide products that can make between a 1-2 percent cost improvement compared to what is offered by competitors. And in a business like mining, just 1 percent on a 300-horsepower drive that runs 24 hours a day quickly adds up to thousands of dollars per year.

Drives are equally important in renewable energy because each photovoltaic cell requires a drive to convert it into usable energy. Danfoss has a huge line of solar drives and already participates in a solar plant for Fresnillo. “We collaborate with companies such as Jorgensen that provide solar power for mines to continue finding ways to use energy more efficiently,” he says. Additionally, Danfoss’ product can intelligently separate heat in the cabinet room, which further provides savings and energy efficiency by minimizing or eliminating the need for air conditioners.

But, he warns that energy efficiency is not simply a onestop solution. “We want to emphasize that energy efficiency requires more than just applying a drive,” he says. “It is not magic and should be applied with the expertise of a specialist to take full advantage of its benefits.”

Although Danfoss does not directly work with mining operators, it develops products that are used under different brands in the mining sector for projects managed by operators such as Industrias Peñoles, Agnico Eagle and Cobre de Mayo. “The problem is that the sector does not recognize our efforts in the mining world because our name is not attached to these products,” says Dalla. “We are focused on positioning our brand and making our work in the mining industry more recognized.”

Dalla says, however, that the company’s positioning in the sector is getting a boost from current metal prices. “When prices are too high, companies are wasteful and inefficient and when they are too low, people are hesitant to invest in new projects,” he says. “The prices per ounce at the moment are at a healthy balance and companies are quite interested in continuing to maximize efficiency.”

Danfoss is constantly striving for higher and higher efficiency through the innovation and R&D the company is renowned for. Danfoss develops projects, including an app that can take a photo of a component and use a code to calculate how to optimize its efficiency, and provides databases that include information about the drive such as the length of the warranty to facilitate use. “Danfoss is changing the idea that our customers have of drives and proving the product’s ability to make mines more efficient,” says Dalla. “This eliminates the fear that many have of applying new tools to their systems.”