Mining Companies Consider Renewable Energy
2023-10-11
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1Mining companies produce important metals needed to build electric car batteries and solar panels.
2Devices called smelters process the rock and minerals so the metal can be purified and sold to manufacturers.
3The work requires a lot of energy.
4The advisory business McKinsey & Company says mining operations produce between four and seven percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.
5Those are gases released into the atmosphere that some scientists say are warming the planet.
6Some of the companies that use mined materials include Apple, Hyundai and Mercedes.
7Those companies are now putting pressure on mining companies to use less energy.
8Many of those companies have environmental, social and governance, or ESG, commitments.
9The ESG commitments require companies such as Apple and carmaker Volvo to choose materials that are made in a less harmful way when possible.
10Some mining companies are thinking about how they can change their business methods to use less energy and create less pollution.
11The pressure is changing the way mines in Indonesia, Chile and Canada operate.
12On the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, the Brazilian mining company Vale runs its smelters using hydroelectric power instead of diesel fuel.
13The hydroelectric power comes from three dams the company built years ago.
14Vale now says it can reduce its carbon dioxide by over 1 million tons per year.
15The company says its greenhouse gas emissions are down by one-fifth since 2017.
16The smelter in Sulawesi produces 75,000 tons of nickel each year.
17The metal is used for batteries, electric cars and many machines used around the home.
18While the company runs the smelter on hydroelectric power, other machines still require coal power.
19The demand for metals such as nickel and cobalt is rising as more people drive electric cars and use solar panels to power their homes.
20But as new mines open and active mines increase operations, environmental activists wonder if the mining companies can continue to reduce pollution.
21Activists say pressure is important to get industries to create less pollution.
22 In Chile, mines that produce copper, lithium and other materials use some energy from solar farms.
23In Canada, the Raglan mine in the far northern part of Quebec produces nickel with the help of wind power.
24Michael Goodsite teaches civil and environmental engineering at the University of Adelaide in Australia.
25He said the mines that are moving away from diesel fuel are setting a good example.
26"How they move from fossil fuel operations to other energy sources can and should be learned from by others," he said.
27In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo has pushed for his country to develop its own industries.
28One of those industries is mining.
29Indonesia is the world's largest producer of nickel and Vale recently signed a deal for a $4.5 billion processing center.
30Some of the investment came from Ford, the U.S.-based automaker.
31Ford is concerned about how its materials are produced.
32Ford official Christopher Smith said the company can "help ensure that the nickel we use in electric vehicle batteries is mined ... produced within the same ESG standards as...our business around the world."
33But mining companies may not be able to change fast enough for people worried about climate change.
34Coal is used to power some of Vale's metal processing in Indonesia.
35Febriany Eddy is chief of Vale Indonesia.
36She said the company plans to change from coal to liquefied natural gas.
37Experts say the gas is not as bad as coal.
38Eddy said it is the best current choice.
39The company believes better options may not be available for 15 to 20 years.
40She said she could wait for the perfect solution, or she can work with natural gas saying, "it is a transition, only."
41Eddy said natural gas will reduce emissions by 40 percent.
42Some climate activists say natural gas still produces methane and carbon dioxide, which, they say, hurt the environment.
43But Eddy said Vale can save money in the long run by producing its own energy in Indonesia.
44She said hydroelectric power reduces the company's carbon emissions and also permits the company to save money.
45"We are no longer that (vulnerable) to fuel and coal costs - because we have hydropower," she said.
46Some products will still be made by businesses that are not making energy changes Goodsite, the university professor in Australia, said when asked about China.
47He added that some of the changes will come because businesses want to reduce their energy use.
48However, he said change will happen if people, who he called "end users," who buy cars and mobile phones and other products choose to buy things made from different materials.
49And he said people have to be ready to pay a lot more for these new products.
50"We all need to be prepared to pay a significant premium for that," Goodsite said.
51I'm Gena Bennet. And I'm Dan Friedell.
1Mining companies produce important metals needed to build electric car batteries and solar panels. 2Devices called smelters process the rock and minerals so the metal can be purified and sold to manufacturers. The work requires a lot of energy. 3The advisory business McKinsey & Company says mining operations produce between four and seven percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Those are gases released into the atmosphere that some scientists say are warming the planet. 4Some of the companies that use mined materials include Apple, Hyundai and Mercedes. Those companies are now putting pressure on mining companies to use less energy. Many of those companies have environmental, social and governance, or ESG, commitments. The ESG commitments require companies such as Apple and carmaker Volvo to choose materials that are made in a less harmful way when possible. 5Some mining companies are thinking about how they can change their business methods to use less energy and create less pollution. 6The pressure is changing the way mines in Indonesia, Chile and Canada operate. 7On the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, the Brazilian mining company Vale runs its smelters using hydroelectric power instead of diesel fuel. The hydroelectric power comes from three dams the company built years ago. Vale now says it can reduce its carbon dioxide by over 1 million tons per year. The company says its greenhouse gas emissions are down by one-fifth since 2017. 8The smelter in Sulawesi produces 75,000 tons of nickel each year. The metal is used for batteries, electric cars and many machines used around the home. While the company runs the smelter on hydroelectric power, other machines still require coal power. 9The demand for metals such as nickel and cobalt is rising as more people drive electric cars and use solar panels to power their homes. But as new mines open and active mines increase operations, environmental activists wonder if the mining companies can continue to reduce pollution. 10Activists say pressure is important to get industries to create less pollution. In Chile, mines that produce copper, lithium and other materials use some energy from solar farms. In Canada, the Raglan mine in the far northern part of Quebec produces nickel with the help of wind power. 11Michael Goodsite teaches civil and environmental engineering at the University of Adelaide in Australia. He said the mines that are moving away from diesel fuel are setting a good example. 12"How they move from fossil fuel operations to other energy sources can and should be learned from by others," he said. 13In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo has pushed for his country to develop its own industries. One of those industries is mining. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of nickel and Vale recently signed a deal for a $4.5 billion processing center. Some of the investment came from Ford, the U.S.-based automaker. 14Ford is concerned about how its materials are produced. Ford official Christopher Smith said the company can "help ensure that the nickel we use in electric vehicle batteries is mined ... produced within the same ESG standards as...our business around the world." 15But mining companies may not be able to change fast enough for people worried about climate change. 16Coal is used to power some of Vale's metal processing in Indonesia. Febriany Eddy is chief of Vale Indonesia. She said the company plans to change from coal to liquefied natural gas. Experts say the gas is not as bad as coal. 17Eddy said it is the best current choice. The company believes better options may not be available for 15 to 20 years. 18She said she could wait for the perfect solution, or she can work with natural gas saying, "it is a transition, only." Eddy said natural gas will reduce emissions by 40 percent. 19Some climate activists say natural gas still produces methane and carbon dioxide, which, they say, hurt the environment. 20But Eddy said Vale can save money in the long run by producing its own energy in Indonesia. She said hydroelectric power reduces the company's carbon emissions and also permits the company to save money. "We are no longer that (vulnerable) to fuel and coal costs - because we have hydropower," she said. 21Some products will still be made by businesses that are not making energy changes Goodsite, the university professor in Australia, said when asked about China. 22He added that some of the changes will come because businesses want to reduce their energy use. However, he said change will happen if people, who he called "end users," who buy cars and mobile phones and other products choose to buy things made from different materials. 23And he said people have to be ready to pay a lot more for these new products. "We all need to be prepared to pay a significant premium for that," Goodsite said. 24I'm Gena Bennet. And I'm Dan Friedell. 25Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press. 26____________________________________________ 27Words in This Story 28battery -n. a device that stores electricity and provide direct electrical current 29solar panel -n. a device that turns strong sunlight into direct electrical current 30smelter -n. a machine that melts rock that contains minerals to purify the mineral or metal 31greenhouse gas -n. a gas believed to trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere 32commitment -n. a promise to do something 33ensure -v. to make something likely to happen 34vulnerable -adj. easily hurt, harmed or weakened 35premium -n. something with an added cost compared to a regular cost 36We want to hear from you. Do you think more companies working in developing nations will work to change their energy sources?