Mine recycles oil, cutting energy usage

A Hunter Valley mine is taking an innovative approach to managing its environmental impact, and is recycling waste oil and using this in explosives.

The method has helped save more than194,000 litres of diesel which is the equivalent of 512 tonnes of carbon dioxide since June last year, the same as taking almost 200 passenger cars off the road.

"Previously, we used 100 per cent pure diesel in our explosives, but we are now using a blend of half recycled oil and half diesel," Hunter Valley Operations Blast Supervisor Darren Moffitt said.

"The benefits are twofold: we're saving money by using less diesel and are re-using our oil, which would otherwise have been treated as waste."

Mr Moffitt said the oil is sourced from the mine's workshop, having been used in engines, transmissions and hydraulics in the mine's many pieces of mobile equipment.

"The used oil is put through a sophisticated filtering system on site, which gets rid of any impurities," Mr Moffitt said.

"There's a small processing cost to filter the oil, but this is minimal compared to the amount it costs to purchase diesel.

"The oil/diesel blend is just as effective in the explosives, which are used to blast layers of overburden, or waste rock, to reveal the coal seam before mining takes place."

Hunter Valley Operations General Manager Operations Graham Gageler said managing energy use was one of the ways the mine is working to combat climate change.

"Coal & Allied recognises the climate change challenge will require changes in global energy, transport, land management, industrial and community systems and infrastructure," Mr Gageler said.

"By reducing the amount of diesel we use, we're reducing our overall energy profile and working towards building a more sustainable future for our business."

The use of recycled oil in explosives is set to continue at Hunter Valley Operations, driven by Mr Moffitt and Energy Champion Maria Zappala, with help from Graduate Engineer Hayden Whiteside and the Hunter Valley Projects team.

Coal & Allied is committed to ensuring its people and products form part of the solution to climate change and is investing heavily into research and development initiatives aimed at finding ways to reduce our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Recent Coal & Allied projects that have helped reduce carbon emissions and energy use include:

• A coal bed methane pilot project at Mount Thorley Warkworth to trial new technology that captures greenhouse gases released during mining
• The payload optimisation programme, which includes feedback and training to help operators load trucks more effectively to optimise fuel use
• Improved coal preparation and handling in the mine combined with equipment and process improvements in the Coal Handling and Preparation Plants at Hunter Valley Operations and Mount Thorley Warkworth, allowing more coal to be recovered for the same amount of energy use
• Swapping old style engines in haul trucks to more energy efficient models that consume less fuel
• Redirecting the roads along which haul trucks travel at Mount Thorley Warkworth and Bengalla and optimising mine layout to reduce haulage distances and improve operational efficiency
• Reducing the idle time on conveyor belts to cut energy use.

ENDS

Media Enquiries:
Alison Smith
0438 787 038

Media release - Mine recycles oil, cutting energy usage [PDF: 33 KB]