Fuel efficiency in the mining context refers to the optimization of the useful work output generated per unit of fuel consumed by mining equipment and plant facilities. Improving fuel efficiency is a key strategic objective for mine operators across bauxite, gold, iron ore, and diamond mining sectors, driven by the dual imperatives of reducing operational costs and minimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in alignment with increasingly stringent environmental regulations and corporate sustainability commitments.
Fuel efficiency is measured and expressed through several KPIs depending on the equipment type and the nature of the work performed. For haul trucks, fuel efficiency metrics include liters per tonne-kilometer (L/t-km), liters per productive hour (L/hr), and liters per tonne of ore or waste moved (L/t). For drilling rigs, it is liters per meter drilled. For processing plant equipment driven by diesel generators, it is liters per megawatt-hour (L/MWh) generated.
Fuel efficiency improvements in haul truck operations are achieved through a combination of technical and operational measures. These include maintaining haul road surfaces to minimize rolling resistance, optimizing bench and ramp gradients to reduce loaded uphill haul requirements, implementing truck payload management systems to consistently achieve maximum design payload without overloading, scheduling preventive maintenance to ensure engines, tyres, and drivetrain components operate at peak efficiency, and implementing eco-driving training programs for equipment operators. Studies have shown that skilled operator behavior can reduce fuel consumption by 10–15% compared to untrained operators on the same equipment under identical conditions.
At the processing plant level, fuel efficiency improvements are pursued through waste heat recovery (heat exchangers on generators and kilns), variable speed drives (VSDs) on large motors (mill drives, pump drives, fan drives), and process optimization to reduce energy intensity per tonne of product. The transition from diesel power generation to grid electricity, solar power, or wind energy at remote mine sites represents the most transformative step-change improvement in fuel efficiency (and CO₂ reduction) currently underway across the global mining industry.