Renewable Energy Technology Accelerates Green Mining Transformation in Indonesia

Green Energy (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The transformation towards green mining practices is increasingly becoming a concern in the Indonesian mining sector in line with increasing global decarbonization demands and national commitments in reducing emissions.

The mining industry is now encouraged to start integrating lower-emission, efficient, and sustainable operational approaches to maintain competitiveness amid changes in the global energy landscape.

As one of the main pillars of the national economy, the mining sector contributes around 10.5 percent to Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

At the same time, however, this sector is also in an important transition phase in line with the national target of reducing emissions by 31.89 percent by 2030 and increasing sustainability standards in the global supply chain.

Chairman of the Communication & Government Relations Committee of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association - Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI-ICMA) Aditya Pratama conveyed that one of the main challenges of this sector is the high dependence of mine operations on fossil fuels, both for power plants in remote areas and the mobility of operational fleets.

"This condition not only impacts the increase in emissions, but also affects the cost efficiency and reliability of energy supply in the field," he said in his statement, quoted Thursday, March 12.

He added that globally, the mining sector itself is estimated to account for around 4 percent to 7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it one of the strategic sectors in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

In line with this, Aditya said that the industry association assessed that the national mining sector was beginning to show readiness to adopt green mining practices.

According to him, although the implementation needs to be carried out gradually according to operational readiness and infrastructure in each company, considering that each mine site has different characteristics and challenges.

"The transformation towards green mining is now increasingly seen as a long-term business need. The challenge is how to ensure that implementation can run faster and wider, supported by an increasingly ready technology ecosystem, and strong collaboration between industry players, government, and solution providers," he said.

In practice, he said, the implementation of green mining requires a comprehensive approach to energy systems designed according to the operational needs of each mine site.

"Integration between renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and operational monitoring technology is one of the approaches that is beginning to be considered to support more efficient and low-emission mine operations," he said.

SUN Energy CEO Jefferson Kuesar said the use of solar power plants (PLTS) in mining areas was considered increasingly relevant because it was able to answer several main needs at once, ranging from reducing dependence on diesel, increasing operational cost efficiency, to strengthening energy supply resilience in remote locations.

According to him, with the support of the battery energy storage system, the utilization of solar energy can also be a more adaptive solution to the dynamic operational needs of mines.

"Effective green mining strategies need to look at the entire operational characteristics of the mine. Therefore, its implementation needs to be adjusted to the needs of each site. The integration of solar energy, energy storage, and monitoring systems is important so that mining companies can reduce emissions while maintaining efficiency and continuity of operations," he said.

Apart from the energy generation aspect, he added that SUN also sees the electrification of the operational fleet as the next strategic step in promoting lower emission mine operations.

Jefferson said that considering mobility is one of the important components in the mine's operational chain, the transformation to electric vehicles can have a significant impact, both in terms of the environment and operational efficiency.

Similarly, SUN Mobility CEO Karina Darmawan said that fleet electrification needs to be seen as part of a more comprehensive operational transformation and its implementation must be adjusted to the characteristics of the mine, ranging from fleet types, operational routes, intensity of use, to readiness of charging infrastructure.

"If designed properly, electrification can help mining companies reduce emissions, increase cost efficiency, and create a more modern and scalable operational system," he said.

In the future, he added, the transformation of green mining will not only be determined by the readiness of technology, but also by strong collaboration between all stakeholders.

"Through an integrated approach, SUN is committed to supporting the Indonesian mining sector in building operations that are lower in carbon, efficient, and remain competitive," he said.

He added, SUN has started to implement an integrated energy approach that includes solar power plants (PLTS), battery energy storage systems (BESS), electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and electrification of operational fleets as part of a solution to support the transformation towards green mining in Indonesia.