Compressed Air Fact Sheets

The Ontario Mining Association has packaged up and distributed the tools and support information for mining companies to take advantage of the lessons learned from its study "Implementing a Sustainable Compressed Air Leak Program."  Compressed air is a major consumer of the energy used to operate mines, yet, often because of the emphasis on safe production, compressed air can be taken for granted even though it can represent up to 20% of underground mining costs.

The kit, which was distributed to all OMA members both in DVD format and hard copies contains an overview of the compressed air project, tips for how to use the package, six practical fact sheets for running your own compressed air management program and a poster template to help everyone "Fix leaks. Cut costs. Save energy."  The OMA study involved pilot projects at three mines -- Williams, FNX Mining´s McCreedy West Mine and Vale Inco´s South Mine.  The pilot sites experienced paybacks in conservation that ranged from instant to less than 12 months.  For example, by fixing just the major air leaks, two of the sites saved about 225 kilowatts of electricity, or about $100,000 in annual operating costs.     

"The OMA with the support of the Ontario Power Authority Conservation Fund piloted a study on sustainable compressed air management at three Ontario mine sites.  The study found straightforward ways to cut electricity costs by hundreds of thousands of dollars per year," said OMA President Chris Hodgson.  "The full project report was circulated to OMA members last year.  However, the main learnings and tools developed have been included in this package."

"Each mine is unique," added Mr. Hodgson.  "Whether you are operating an existing mine, planning an expansion or designing a new mine, you can cut operating costs and realize productivity gains by effectively managing compressed air."  Earlier this year, Ivor da Cunha, President of LeapFrog Energy Technologies Inc., and producer of the compressed air management study, and Danny Atkinson, Continuous Improvement Coach at Hemlo Mines, took the findings of the study on a road show to mining industry energy managers in Timmins, Kirkland Lake and Sudbury.

The package not only builds the business case for sustainable air leak management programs but it suggests tips on how to succeed, presents a catalogue of inappropriate uses for compressed air, shows the benefits of detectors and gaskets in fighting leaks and offers lots of communications tools. 

Ontario´s $10.8 billion mining industry spends more than $500 million annually on energy, which represents between 15% and 30% of operating costs at various mining operations.  Conserving and managing this major input cost is a challenge for all mineral producers in Ontario. 

Fact Sheets:

Tips for Sustainable Air Leak Management Program
Business Case for Sustainable Air Leak Programs in Ontario Mines
Compressed Air System Assessments
Detectors and Gaskets Lead the Way
High Cost of Compressed Air Leaks
Inappropriate Uses for Compressed Air
Sustainable Air Leak Management Project - Saving Energy and Dollars
Poster