Sustainable and cost-effective microgrid sizing methodology for mining operations considering reliability and energy not-served

Mining industries consume a significant amounts of energy from fossil fuels, increasing carbon emissions. This paper presents a framework for the design of sustainable microgrid systems for mining through the integration of renewable energy sources to maximise environmental and economic outcomes. The study evaluates the applicability of solar PV, wind turbines, battery storage and diesel generators through a cost-benefit analysis in terms of energy cost, emissions, and reliability. Key findings indicate that wind turbines, when combined with diesel generators, drastically reduce cost and emissions. This work also examines microgrid configurations that have a lower diesel generator capacity but offer near-perfect reliability. Such configurations have proven to be feasible, as the energy shortfall is minimal and manageable by existing mining resources, thus reducing both costs and emissions.