Posted by Daniel Gleeson on 4th September 2024
Agnico Eagle Mines Restricted has revealed its findings on the effectivity and environmental influence of the Railveyor system carried out at its Goldex mining complicated in Quebec, Canada, with the whitepaper, printed by Railveyor and Agnico Eagle, detailing lowered operational prices, enhanced security and greenhouse fuel emissions reductions as among the main outcomes of the set up.
Goldex mine, an underground gold operation in Val d’Or, confronted logistical challenges as a consequence of its deeper zones and low-grade ore. To handle these, Agnico Eagle built-in the Railveyor system into its operations in 2017, changing conventional diesel truck haulage with this superior all-electric resolution. The outcomes have been transformative, in accordance with the whitepaper.
In accordance with the miner’s inner research, the Railveyor system has achieved as much as a 39% discount in mine-wide emissions in contrast with diesel vans, a big step in the direction of the corporate’s dedication to reaching internet zero by 2050. The system’s power effectivity was additionally validated by a research from NRCan-CanmetMINING, confirming that the Railveyor operates inside 6% of its anticipated power utilization. With its low operational prices – decreasing working expenditure by as a lot as 75% in contrast with truck haulage – Railveyor has confirmed itself as an economical, sustainable various for materials transport in mining, Railveyor says.
Based mostly on CanmetMINING’s calculations, the Goldex Railveyor system requires 0.989 kilowatt-hours to maneuver one tonne of ore one kilometer. Factoring in Quebec’s common electrical energy value on the time of this publication, the estimated price is lower than $0.07/tonne-km.
Christian Lessard, Upkeep Superintendent at Goldex, stated: “Goldex Railveyor has been optimised since 2017, leading to sturdy manufacturing in recent times. The system integrates the most recent applied sciences like LTE networks and AI, working in keeping with theoretical power consumption fashions. The steadiness and predictability {of electrical} power prices, versus fossil fuels, additional contribute to the general advantages.”
Tas Mohamed, interim CEO of Railveyor, stated: “The success of the Railveyor at Goldex highlights the significance of collaboration between our staff and Agnico Eagle Mines. This partnership has demonstrated that Railveyor isn’t just a viable various to conventional strategies however a superior one by way of security, price, and environmental influence.”
Charles Gillies, Chairman of Railveyor and Managing Director at Useful resource Capital Funds (RCF), a worldwide essential minerals and mining options funding agency, added: “We’re proud to have supported Railveyor inside RCF Innovation II in bringing this progressive expertise to market. The constructive influence at Goldex underscores the worth of investing in sustainable and transformative mining options that may assist allow the power transition and meet the mining trade’s challenges at present and sooner or later.”
Because the mining trade continues to push in the direction of sustainability, the success of the Railveyor system at Goldex serves as a benchmark for different operations, Railveyor says. “With its capacity to cut back emissions, improve security and decrease prices, Railveyor is setting new requirements in mining.”
