The multinational company is also introducing remote monitoring systems so that mining companies can identify energy-saving opportunities from Lima.
In a context of climate change, industries and companies have committed to promoting energy efficiency. This is the case with ABB, the Swedish-Swiss multinational specializing in electrification and industrial automation technology, which has been promoting initiatives and projects in Peru in key sectors such as mining and infrastructure through its three main business areas: Electrification, Process Automation, and Motion.
The latter is particularly important in mining operations, as it provides electric motors, variable frequency drives, and associated services to improve the efficiency of industrial machinery.
According to Miguel Valles, service manager for ABB's Motion business unit in Peru, globally, 70% of the electricity consumed in the industrial sector uses motors. Furthermore, there are more than 300 million motor-driven industrial systems in operation.
“If these systems are replaced with more efficient equipment and increasingly digitalized, we could reduce energy consumption by up to 10%. What are we doing? We have been surpassing efficiency levels (IE) by moving from IE1 to IE4 Super Premium in just a few years. We invest in innovation and technology to exceed these levels, and with each step, we reduce economic losses by 20%,” Valles told AméricaEconomía .
WHY ARE ENGINES THE KEY?
The engineer offers as an example that the transition from an IE2 to an IE3 system in a plant with 100 motors would allow for savings of up to US$10,000 in annual energy consumption. At first, many users are somewhat skeptical because they face an initial investment. However, when they see the calculation of the motor's total lifespan, they are more willing to accept ABB's services.
“In the case of motor costs, 1% is invested in maintenance, only 3% in the purchase, but 96% of the cost of a motor is spent on energy use. So, if the client truly evaluates this, they realize that the service is profitable. Of course, companies must be properly audited to give them the push they need to accept the initial investment,” Valles adds.
Likewise, some mining companies have gone further in their energy efficiency plans and are now turning to variable speed drives, which, according to Valles, boost savings by an average of 20%. However, to adapt to each client's context, ABB has launched a calculator that measures when companies can recover their initial investment and how much they will save annually in expenses after accepting the multinational's services.
For Valles, promoting energy efficiency in the mining sector isn't so complicated, as many transnational companies have sustainability or zero-carbon emissions goals.
"This allows our digital systems to penetrate this segment. For example, we have ABB Ability equipment, designed for companies that mine copper, enabling them to reduce their energy consumption and monitor their machines in real time so they can make informed decisions," says the ABB spokesperson.
ADVANTAGES OF DIGITALIZATION
The digitalization of monitoring is important because mining operations are located at high altitudes, and traveling from Lima is often an ordeal. Now, a specialist can remotely detect failures or anomalies that consume the mining company's energy system and receive advice.
"Thanks to digitalization, we can place a sensor smaller than a cell phone on each engine. This syncs with a QR code you have, allowing us to monitor the engine 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round," the expert notes.
On the other hand, if we analyze the reality in other countries, Valles asserts that in the United States, there are also very old engines that have not yet been replaced. Similar to the Peruvian reality, although on a much larger scale, the increase in energy costs and competitiveness is leading to a gradual transition to more fuel-efficient engines.
Meanwhile, in Chile, the government has expanded dialogue with transnational mining companies that implement digital technologies and energy efficiency, such as ABB. From Valles' perspective, this is a model that Peru could replicate in order to ride the wave of sustainability in a sector like mining, where pollution is often commonplace.
