Solar solutions for the Mining industry

More than half of mining operations such as electrowinning and heap leaching require low temperature, below 100°C.

Absolicon solar collector efficiently produces steam up to 160°C, and supports a large fraction of mining heat demand, saving emissions up to 40% of total operating costs.

Often situated in countries with high solar energy resources, mining companies have great potential to integrate solar thermal systems to meet the heat requirement efficiently, offering predictable costs and a stable energy supply.

It is estimated that by the year 2040, key mining regions could be increasingly vulnerable to water stress, making solar desalination and wastewater evaporation a key factor in a sustainable future of mining.

60% of mining operation such as electrowinning and heap leaching requires temperature below 100°C which can be provided through sustainable solar heat supply solutions from Absolicon.

Absolicon provides turnkey solutions using solar collectors, heat recovery solutions, and smart controls. We always ensure a smart integration with the existing boiler system in your industry.

This allows mining companies to cut emissions and save costs from fossil fuels.

1 kW solar collector field in a mine can save :

200 ltr of Diesel and 600 kg of CO2 per year
300 m3 of Gas and 500 kg of CO2 per year
500 Kg of Coal and 1200 kg of CO2 per year

Range of applications for solar heating

Leach solution
Evaporate the wastewater
Solvent preheating

Industry solutions

The Absolicon T160 Solar collector has multiple areas for implementation in the mining industry.

Electrowinning: Use of solar heat for electrolyte heating during copper extraction. Solvent pre-heating using solar heat can reduce fuel consumption.

Heap leaching: Pre-heating of lixiviant using solar heat to increase the copper extraction rate. Solar integration can result in lower energy consumption, a high extraction rate, and an increase in profitability.

Desalination and wastewater evaporation: Solar driven water desalination and wastewater management. The evaporation of wastewater coming out of mining using an Absolicon solar integrated evaporator can reduce the environmental impact of the mines.

Absolicon T160 supplies heat and steam to a wide spectrum of production processes. Solar heat can be integrated at multiple integration points into the existing heating system.

Case Study

Learn how leading mining companies are benefiting from solar thermal energy in their production plants:

Simulation Atacama Desert Mining, Chile

Get started

Download our application brochure by clicking the button below, and contact us for an initial discussion about the opportunities with solar thermal energy and how it could be applied in your plant.