Designing for the future
Rio Tinto Coal Australia recognises that climate change will change the way we do business in the future. As a result, the risks associated with a changing climate, opportunities of a changing policy environment and the impacts of potential energy supplies are being factored into the design of our projects.
Understanding changes in local and international policy which influence our markets and customer's costs is a key element of delivering a sustainable business. Long-term analysis indicates that coal has an important role in the worlds continued energy supply. Positioning our business to be a valued long-term contributor of energy requires changes to our business model and policies which we are committed to delivering.
To address this, we are:
- Designing new projects to include a price on carbon and to also incorporate energy and water efficiency
- Capturing energy efficiency ideas from projects across the Rio Tinto Group and investigating their implementation within RTCA
- Updating our weather profile to include the latest credible information to incorporate into project design
- Investigating new options to capture coal seam methane from underground and open cut mines
- Continuing research into clean coal and carbon capture and storage technologies.
Results
In 2007 we commenced a range of programmes aimed at incorporating climate change considerations into the design of new projects:
- Coal from Clermont Mine, announced in January 2007, includes an in-pit crusher and conveyor system which will halve haul truck requirements, maximising energy efficiency and reducing emissions. The mobile fleet will also use fuel efficient engines.
- Coal & Allied has been investigating the viability of a coal bed methane development project at Mount Thorley Warkworth. Now that the data collection stage is complete, four wells are being drilled at the site for testing and evaluation throughout 2008.
- The Kestrel Mine Extension project includes a coal bed methane management system which reduces the greenhouse footprint of the extension.
Mount Thorley Warkworth has significantly improved low ash coal fines recovery at one of its coal processing plants through the development of novel floatation technology, improving resource efficiency and recovery.
