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Iron Mining
Minnesota’s six iron mining and processing operations produce two-thirds of the iron ore used to make steel in the United States. Total energy use is estimated at 25 million mmBtu annually. Typical waste streams include priority pollutant air emissions, cooling water, wastewater and waste rock as solid waste. All six of these facilities in Minnesota are high energy users, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Energy
Top Compressed Air Energy Saving Options MnTAP facilitated U.S. DOE compressed air audits at United Taconite and Hibbing Taconite. Compressed air assessments reveal that facilities have common opportunities for energy efficiency improvements: leak reduction, storage, sequencing and removing inappropriate uses such as cooling bearings, cleaning converyor belts.
Fleet Maintenance
Most vehicle maintenance work produces wastes that are regulated by local, state or federal rules. These wastes are expensive to manage and dispose of properly. Preventing waste from the service work you perform can add up to impressive savings for your bottom line and prevent significant amounts of pollution and waste.
Case Studies
Coeur Rochester, Inc. Plant-wide assessment of Nevada Silver Mine finds opportunities to improve process control and reduce energy consumption.
Hibbing Taconite Company Saves $260,000 by Reducing Ore Spills Ore spills were reduced over 75 percent (19,000 tons) through equipment and maintenance changes. Full implementation is planned to save $330,000 annually.
Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation This facility used energy assessments to identify $930,000 in potential annual savings.
If you have questions related to reducing waste from ore processing at mines, contact MnTAP at 612.624-4633 from greater Minnesota, call 800.247-0015.
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