A Third of The Energy Used in Mining is Renewable: CAMIMEX

The Mexican Mining Chamber (CAMIMEX) estimates that about 34 percent of the energy consumed in the mining industry in Mexico comes from renewable sources, positioning it as one where these types of energy have penetrated the most.

Companies in the sector are consuming energy from wind, solar, hydroelectric and cogenerational sources. The primary reason behind the high percentage of renewable energy is its lower cost, which makes it easier for companies to integrate them efficiently into their processes.

CAMIMEX points out that despite the federal government’s controversial policies regarding the energy sector, mining has kept “an efficient strategy” that seeks to incorporate a greater development of clean technologies and, because of such efforts, the chamber that revealed investments for this year have surpassed US$11.37 billion. This figure represents a whopping 754 percent increase in investments compared to last year’s, when investments barely hit the US$11.33 billion mark, the lowest in recent history.

CAMIMEX further informed that at least 73 mining units in Mexico are already producing and consuming energy from clean sources, almost 3,734 gigawatts per hour, which roughly equals 34 percent of the total of energy used. This is almost three times the amount used last year. CAMIMEX also highlighted new projects that will use renewable energy, such as Peñoles’ 2020 new wind power plant in Tamaulipas, Fuerza Eólica del Istmo’s parks in Oaxaca and those of Eólica de Coahuila. The latter allow the industry to acquire up to 40 percent of its energy from renewable sources, which could eventually lead to self-sufficiency.

“The goal established by (Eólica de Coahuila) for 2024 is for 60 percent of the electrical energy to come from clean sources and the goal for 2028 is 100 percent, for which they have integrated three renewable energy plants and are continuously analyzing the incorporation of new clean plants,” said CAMIMEX.

By 2020, mining companies consumed 10,804 gigawatts per hour. Some of its origins include 3,624 gigawatts acquired from the Federal Electricity Commission (which also uses clean sources), 3,191 gigawatts from wind power, 251.5 gigawatts from hydroelectric power, 374 gigawatts from cogeneration and 0.017 gigawatts from solar power.

Altogether, energy obtained from clean and renewable sources has doubled, while the one obtained from fossil fuels has reduced, CAMIMEX said.