Ivanhoe Mines' executive co-chair Robert Friedland made the climate-based pledge on May 5, stating it was part of the company's plans to achieve net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2).
"Emissions from all gasoline and diesel vehicles not only harm our planet, they harm our health. Electric and fuel-cell vehicles now include cars, transit buses, trucks of all sizes, and even big-rig tractor trailers," said Friedland.
"Industrial-scale electric and fuel-cell mechanized underground mining equipment currently is being tested around the world, and it is only a matter of time until they become available for commercial use in the size that we require for our large-scale, bulk mining operations. We plan to be among the first of the early adopters of the technology."
The company noted that the mine is already powered by hydro-power - it taps into the massive flow rate of the Congo River, which is the deepest river in the world and the second strongest after the Amazon.
In April, the company agreed to with the DRC's state-owned power company to form a joint venture to upgrade Turbine 5 at the Inga II hydropower complex, located in the southwest of the DRC.
That deal followed a wider power supply agreement that secured a combined 240 megawatts of renewable electricity from the upgraded turbines at Mwadingusha and Inga II hydropower plants for Kamoa-Kakula.
Ivanhoe said earlier this week that the giant Kamoa-Kakula joint will produce its first copper within a month, ahead of schedule.
Construction and commissioning of the phase one, 3.8Mtpa Kamoa-Kakula concentrator plant had been accelerated, reported Mining Journal.
Kakula was projected to be the world's highest-grade major copper mine, with an estimated early average feed grade of more than 6% copper.
Phase one was expected to produce about 200,000 tonnes of copper annually, rising to a phase two 7.6Mtpa operation producing 400,000t per year in the third quarter of 2022.
Mark Farren, Kamoa Copper's CEO, added: "Given the extraordinarily high copper grades and access to abundant clean, renewable hydropower, Kamoa Copper is uniquely positioned to achieve the net-zero operational target much sooner than other major copper producers.
"We are working closely with our mining equipment suppliers to decrease the use of fossil fuels in our mining fleet, and evaluate the viability, safety and performance of new electric, hydrogen and hybrid technologies. We plan to introduce them into our mining fleet as soon as they become commercially available.
"Unlike diesel equipment, electric underground mining equipment produces zero emissions, thus making for more sustainable operations while also increasing the health and safety of those working in the mine. Ventilation costs also would be significantly reduced with electric equipment."
