Decarbonisation is a key focus for miners, but just how well are they doing?
The Australian mining industry has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The Minerals Council of Australia says this ambition can only be achieved through significant investment in technology.
This includes things like energy efficiency initiatives, greater adoption of renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, abatement and electrification.
Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) completed its first renewable diesel trial across its Pilbara iron ore operations in February this year.
The major distributed renewable diesel made from used cooking oil that was blended with fossil diesel to create a mix with about 20% renewable diesel.
The trial reduced Rio Tinto’s scope one emissions by about 27,000 tonnes of direct greenhouse gas emissions, which is as much as the exhaust emissions from 6,300 cars over a year.
Diesel accounts for about 70% of Rio Tinto’s total emissions from its Pilbara operations, according to Managing Director Rail, Port and Core Services Richard Cohen.
“While electrification is the ultimate longer-term solution for repowering the majority of our fleet, we’re also exploring biofuels as a complementary and nearer-term solution,” he says.
Fellow iron ore producer Fortescue (ASX:FMG), meanwhile, has committed US$6.2 billion ($9.9 billion) to eliminating fossil fuels from its iron ore operations by 2030, replacing nearly 1,000 diesel-powered machines with zero-emission alternatives, and investing in large-scale renewable infrastructure.
These are just two of the companies that have earned a spot on the shortlist of nominees for the Decarbonising Mining Awards 2025, which acknowledge exceptional achievements in sustainability, decarbonisation, and innovation within the mining industry.
Rio Tinto’s Manager, Hydrocarbon and Biofuel Procurement Willem du Plessis and Principal of Biofuels Katherine Chapman are two of the individual nominees in the Mining Decarbonisation Champion category.
This category recognises an individual who has shown leadership and inspiration for the mining industry’s decarbonising efforts.
They are up against Gold Fields (JSE:GFI) Senior Manager, Energy James Koerting, IGO (ASX:IGO) Head of Technical Services Chris Carr and Connect Zero Founder Siobhan Cribb.
Fortescue is a nominee in the Excellence in Decarbonisation Strategy and Implementation by a Mining Company category.
The producer is vying for the title alongside Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN), Gold Fields and Bellevue Gold (ASX:BGL).
Mineral Resources has introduced an internal decarbonisation fund that charges business units for emissions, creating a financial incentive for operational efficiency, funding decarbonisation projects, and accelerating the transition to net zero by 2050.
Gold Fields has invested $400 million in renewable energy projects, including the St Ives and Agnew microgrids, significantly cutting emissions and advancing net-zero mining operations.
Bellevue Gold is implementing a decarbonisation strategy aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2026, with measures including an 80% renewable energy power station and efforts to produce ‘green gold’.
Other categories include Pioneering Renewable Integration in Mining Award, Innovation in Decarbonising Material Movement (Project or Technology), Excellence in Mine Decarbonisation Innovation (Project or Technology).
The nominees in the Pioneering Renewable Integration in Mining Award include TransAlta, which partnered with BHP (ASX:BHP) Nickel West to develop the 48 megawatt (MW) Northern Goldfields Solar and Battery Storage Facility.
This project integrated solar and battery storage into an off-grid mining network, reducing scope two emissions by 540,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent over 10 years, demonstrating a scalable renewable energy model for mining.
Also on the shortlist, Pacific Energy partnered with AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) to design and deliver a 61MW off-grid hybrid power system at the Tropicana Gold Mine.
The project incorporated wind, solar, and a 13MW battery system to cut diesel and gas consumption by 96% and 50%, respectively, removing 65,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, while maintaining reliable, high-demand mining operations.
Zenith Energy, Monford Group and EDL also made the shortlist for the Pioneering Renewable Integration in Mining Award.
Meanwhile, Komatsu (TYO:6301), XCMG, Janus Electric (ASX:JNS) and an initiative led by South32 (ASX:S32), Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) and Vale (NYSE:VALE) have been named as the contenders for the Innovation in Decarbonising Material Movement (Project or Technology).
The winners will be named on 6 May at The Decarbonising Mining Awards, part of The Decarbonising Mine – the 9th annual Energy and Mines Australia Summit running 6-7 May at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The summit is organised by Energy and Mines, a private Canadian information and event media provider for decarbonisation in the mining sector.
Mining.com.au is a supporting organisation for the event. Click here for more details.
Write to Angela East at Mining.com.au
Images: Stock
