Key resource industry players have formed an Electric Mine Consortium to help decarbonise mine sites.

Fourteen companies including Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, Epiroc, South32, and Barminco have established the consortium to help reduce their scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions in line with global objectives.

The group, led by research organisation State of Play, describes electrification as a game changer for the mining industry as it drastically reduces emissions and exposure to diesel particulates underground, while bringing mine sites closer to achieving their zero emissions objectives.

The CEOs of South32, OZ Minerals, IGO, Gold Fields Australia and Barminco have co-signed a statement of intent regarding the electrification of their mine sites with the goal of accelerating change in the industry.

These miners are supported by suppliers, including global equipment manufacturers Sandvik and Epiroc, software giant Dassault, utility Horizon Energy, engineers Hahn Electrical, renewable energy company Energy Vault, and new economy start-ups Safescape and 3ME Technologies.

Sandvik sustainable business, marketing and communications manager Kate Bills said that company was committed to using engineering and innovation to advance the world towards more sustainable business.

“Joining the new Electric Mine Consortium and leading the electrification and automation transition in mining are some of the many ways we will achieve our 2030 sustainability ambitions,” she said.

State of Play co-founder Graeme Stanway said data showed that renewables, electric systems and batteries would help fuel the change towards a healthier, economically viable future of mining.

“But uncertainty remains when it comes to which area to invest in first, and how,” he said.

According to a recent State of Play survey of global mining executives, 87 per cent believed all existing mine sites would become fully electric within 20 years and 60 per cent believed the next generation of greenfield mines would be fully electric.

Mr Stanway said Australian mining companies had a huge advantage compared to their global counterparts when it came to alternative energy sources.

“Here in Australia, we have an abundance of renewables that the industry is tapping into, particularly in our most remote operations,” he said.

“Local mine sites have the opportunity to install solar, wind and battery energy storage systems to power their operations at a much cheaper cost than many global players.”