How Mining Can Help Bring Clean Energy Access to the Developing World

Mining operations, particularly in developing countries, suffer from extreme energy inefficiencies, with diesel power often converting only 12 percent of energy into measurable work. Transitioning to renewable energy like solar and wind can reduce costs—which can account for up to 30 percent of total expenditures—and help companies secure a "social license to operate" by providing energy access to remote communities. Examples include Rio Tinto's solar plant in Australia and Windiga Energy's project in Burkina Faso. RMI and the Development Partner Institute are facilitating the creation of innovative business models to coordinate the complex interests of mining companies, communities, and multilaterals.

• Mining operations are characterized by significant energy inefficiencies, specifically regarding diesel power, where only 12 percent of energy is converted to measurable work after accounting for mechanical losses and friction.
• Energy costs can represent up to 30 percent of total expenditures for mining companies, making energy efficiency a critical factor for financial and climate resilience.
• There is a significant gap and growing demand for energy in sub-Saharan Africa; as of 2014, 625 million people lacked energy access, while mining's power demand in the region was projected to triple between 2000 and 2020 to over 23,000 megawatts (MW).
• Case studies demonstrate the viability of renewable energy integration: Rio Tinto's 1.7 MW solar plant in Cape York, Australia, supports up to 20 percent of a township's daytime electricity demand and saves 600,000 liters of diesel annually; Windiga Energy's 20 MW solar plant near its Mana mine in Burkina Faso provides power to the local grid and the mine.
• Scaling these projects requires business model innovation and third-party facilitation to manage the complex interests of mining companies, communities, multilaterals, and development organizations.

APA

RMI (2018). How Mining Can Help Bring Clean Energy Access to the Developing World. https://rmi.org/resources/how-mining-can-help-bring-clean-energy-access-to-the-developing-world/

Chicago

RMI. How Mining Can Help Bring Clean Energy Access to the Developing World. 2018. https://rmi.org/resources/how-mining-can-help-bring-clean-energy-access-to-the-developing-world/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=How Mining Can Help Bring Clean Energy Access to the Developing World |date=26 June 2018 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/how-mining-can-help-bring-clean-energy-access-to-the-developing-world/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2018how, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{How Mining Can Help Bring Clean Energy Access to the Developing World}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/how-mining-can-help-bring-clean-energy-access-to-the-developing-world/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }