Renewables at mines: Difficulties, limitations, possible solutions

While renewables such as solar, wind and hydrogen are increasingly being considered for off-grid and hybrid mining applications, the path to large-scale integration remains fraught with technical, economic and structural challenges

Mining and mineral processing have long depended on fossil fuels, not just as an energy source but as feedstocks essential to production. Replacing these with renewable alternatives presents numerous hurdles.

For example, biomass (charcoal) can substitute for coke in certain operations, but large-scale adoption faces constraints in sustainable charcoal supply, transportation costs, and technical adaptation, particularly in steelmaking.

Similarly, hydrogen is considered an environmentally superior option for mineral reduction processes, derived from renewable-powered electrolysis rather than coal. However, its current high production cost makes it economically unviable for widespread industrial use.

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