One of our key concerns going forward will be greater energy independence and increased accessibility to electrical infrastructures. At our operations, we are exploring a multitude of large and small scale initiatives that could reduce our energy consumption. The following highlights some of the initiatives that are taking place at each site to reduce and conserve energy:
Essakane: Essakane’s energy strategy began in 2011 with the establishment of an Energy Committee. This marks an important step toward the implementation of concrete solutions to improve energy management and reduce the use of hydrocarbons. The committee’s first step was to commission an energy analysis with a specific focus on energy efficiency of the mill that consumes approximately 50% of the energy at the site. The three-year goal is to reduce consumption of hydrocarbons by 2% to 5%.
Significant strides were also made in the area of employee transportation. With schedule modifications, Essakane has reduced the number of bus trips between Essakane and Ouagadougou by more than 20%. The reduction has saved approximately 300L of diesel fuel each week.
Essakane also committed to the completion of its carbon footprinting process in the comining year. To achieve this, the site is drawing on expertise from the International Institute of Engineering of Water and Environment (2iE Foundation) in Ouagadougou.
Westwood: The Westwood Project is currently in the construction phase. Energy use was an important factor in its design, as we looked for long-term energy savings. The installation of an energy-efficient compressor was immediately identified as an opportunity in the design of the project. The large amount of heat from the compressors will be used for drying ore. Furthermore, the excess heat can be used for heating the entrance of the headframe during the winter months. Various other small initiatives have also been identified, such as motion-detecting lights for all new buildings.
Rosebel: In 2011, Rosebel installed Power Factor Correction Capacitors on all circuits with induction motors to reduce line currents and line losses. Another initiative saw old automation controls being replaced and repaired to improve process efficiency and ultimately lower energy consumption.
Niobec: Solar panels were purchased in 2011 to feed ultrasound emitters. These are devices that emit ultrasonic waves in water in order to destroy algae in the water. We anticipate that the new installation will be completed early 2012. In an effort to offset the CO2 emissions caused by the transportation of the employees to and from the mine site, Niobec has planted over 5,000 trees.