Decarbonising mining: solar lights the way for electrification
Key takeaways
- Tried and tested, renewables are increasingly steering short-term decarbonisation strategies in mining, with solar already seeing significant adoption.
- Mining’s energy transition is likely to involve a combination of renewables, alternative fuels and electrification.
- First, solutions are already on the market, and the levelised cost of electricity produced by renewable generation (primarily solar and wind) is consistently decreasing.
Decarbonising mining: solar lights the way for electrification Eve Thomas Wed, May 27, 2026 at 12:43 AM GMT+7 9 min read Complete decarbonisation of mining operations is expected to be a lengthy process, hindered by as-yet immature technologies and costs associated with integrating new infrastructure. Tried and tested, renewables are increasingly steering short-term decarbonisation strategies in mining, with solar already seeing significant adoption.
Mining’s energy transition is likely to involve a combination of renewables, alternative fuels and electrification. In time, strategies will also include carbon capture and hydrogen (in fuel cells for fleet decarbonisation, or in the production of green ammonia for explosives); however, these nascent technologies remain over a decade away.
Renewables offer two immediate advantages. First, solutions are already on the market, and the levelised cost of electricity produced by renewable generation (primarily solar and wind) is consistently decreasing. Second, renewables will also act as a springboard for the sector’s ultimate goal: electrification.