ECO COMMERCIAL UTILISATION OF ABANDONED MINE SITE AND APPLICATION OF PVSYST SOFTWARE: AN APPROACH

Prateek Sharma and Tonmit Talukdar, B.Tech Mining Engineering, II Year, Dept. of PEES, UPES Bidholi, Uttrakhand E-mail: prateeks5547@gmail.com

Abstract:

Considering the lifetime of a mine which basically is valid for few decades, the utilization of the same after its death takes up a considerable amount. Also millions of dollar has been spent annually on reclamation research. A major issue, as to how the abandoned land is to be utilized eco commercially for socio economic enhancement and development, this paper suggests an approach expected to provide adequate after-mining results. Exploitation of the used up mine area where no further operation can be undertaken, the paper focuses on setting up a solar or wind power plant with respect to the topography, and geology of the locality. Attempts has been made that with the proposal suggested, a reasonable amount of energy can be produced which can further be utilized for purposes of public necessity as well as mining operations. This definite statistical study of the total amount of annual solar power production by Grid System Presizing using PVSYST Software would provide us with all the details that are required for setting up exact number of solar panels. Mandatory factors such as required area over which the project is supposed to set up, cost factor, Nominal Power, Module Cost, Annual Yield and Energy Cost can be evaluated with the software as well. Attempts has hence been made to reuse the unoperated land in a cost beneficial and economic way.

Keywords: Grid System Précising, PVSYST Software, Nominal Power, Module Cost.

INTRODUCTION

Mine activities recently has affected the environment in a wider range. A mine site has a lifetime ranging from few years to several decades. Once the mine is dead activities such as landfilling, plantation, afforestation and harvesting takes place but the former fertility becomes a statement of doubt. Reclamation processes are commenced but it doesn’t add to the social or economic value. If these areas are converted into socioeconomic zones, it’ll not only help in the enhancement of eco commercial area but also raise the standard of social cause. For example one such area is the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory was built in INCO’s Creighton Mine near Sudbury, Ontario. While the other is Gotland Ring, Sweden, a world-class car racing track situated in an old limestone quarry. Such advancement contributes in the development of the nearby area as well as reduces the probability of unproductivity of the area. The idea is to set up an energy project based which depends upon the climate, topography and geology of the area. The annual Energy Production for the proposal suggested is calculated by software PVSYST.

AIM AND SUGGESTION

The aim of this paper is to develop or utilize an abandoned mine site, dead for any operation by an adequate technique that can help us attaining a reasonable profit and give an advantage in pre mining situations. It has been suggested that if the topography of the area is studied with exact latitudinal and longitudinal estimates, advancement is present to calculate the total annual solar energy using which a necessary amount of profit can be attained.

METHODOLOGY

The paper has made an attempt to provide an idea of setting up a solar power plant in the area abandoned after mining. Apart from having socio-economic growth there would be an advantage of reduction or complete elimination of public hearing cases. A study with the software PVSYST has been made, where latitudinal and longitudinal data of an area has been inserted. The software allows us to know the exact amount of nominal power emitted depending on the type of solar panel which can also be inputted according to our requirement. The variables being the numerical figure of the area over which the project is to set up, the expected or required amount of total energy produced in a year, and the type of solar panel required, would lead us to distinctive figures such as Annual Yield, Investment required for set up and per energy cost. The definite data’s once provided will very surely provide us with the expected result. Produced energy is to be distributed in different segments. 10% of the produced energy will be given to the general public at a reasonably reduced rate or for free which necessarily would help them in their day to day activity. The remaining part of the energy can be used for any other mining project operating inside a feasible radius and the rest of the energy will be sold to the government at a cheaper rate.

AREA OF STUDY: RAMPURA AGUCHA (TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY)

Rampura-Agucha (Latitude: North 25 degree 50 minutes east; Longitude: East 74 degree 45 minutes west) zinc-lead deposit, located 15 km southeast of Gulabpura in Bhilwara District, Rajasthan, forms a part of pre-Aravalli Banded Gneissic Complex (3.2 to 2.5 billion years old) consisting of gneisses. Schists and intrusive of acidic and basic igneous rocks, that occupy predominantly the southeastern plain of Ajmer and Bhilwara. The sequence of rocks from hanging wall to footwall in the deposit is (a) garnet-biotite-sillimanite gneiss/schist, intercalated with amphibolite, calc-silicate, pegmatite and aplite, (b) graphite-mica-sillimanite gneiss/schist, (c) footwall garnetbiotite-sillimanite gneiss with interlayering of granite gneiss, amphibolite, calc-silicate and pegmatite, (d) granite gneiss. and (e) mylonite. The rock units show northeast-southwest strike with steep dips in hanging wall (75°-80° ) and moderate dips in footwall (60°-65°) towards southeast and are suspected to have undergone more than two stages of deformation. Structurally, the deposit is interpreted to represent a doubly plunging. isoclinal, synformal fold with steep northeasterly plunge (65°-70°) in the south and shallow southwesterly plunge (20°-22°) in the north.

MAP

http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=25.845475&lon=74.746342&z=14&m=b&show=/9510208/R-A-Mines-Tailing-Dam

DEDUCTION:-

Setting up of solar power plant

According to the latitude and longitude of Rampura Agucha the sunlight frequency in every month is depicted by the graph

Let us suppose that a company is working on a mining project. The mine is an open cast mine which have reached to its full potential

Instead of closing the mine the company requests the government in order to grant them permission to install a solar power plant their on the mining site as the sunlight level is adequate for installing the same.

Material used to level the area which was mined - overburden, water, mill tailings

Method to increase stability – threading (natural thread)

Stability of the newly leveled area – 70%

Cost for threading and leveling – 20 lakhs

Based on the data’s produced by PVSYST

Technology - Polycrystalline

Nominal power of the solar plant - 175kw

Area covered by the module - 1167 m2

Module cost- 50.51 INR/WPH

Annual yield- 322 MWH/year

Investment – 28749889 INR

Energy cost – 8.69 INR/ KWH

Maintenance cost for the plant – 7 lakhs

Energy given to the nearby living communities – 10% of total energy produced.

Total investment in 16 years = Rs.39949889

Total return after 16 years = Rs.40293792

CONCLUSION

Application of PVSYST software allows us to attain the exact characteristics of solar energy produced throughout the year. Through this paper attempt has been made to use the energy produced in a wider basis. The socio economic growth has been targeted along with a reasonable profit over a decade. It also provides a path to utilize the abandoned mining site in a suitable way. Solar panels of required nominal powers are spread over an area. Also procedures are introduced to keep them in a rotatory state so that it faces the sun at every angle. Indeed there might be a production fall in the rainy season but considering the production rate it can be negotiated or considered to. Evaluating the estimates coming from the experimented area it has been calculated that duration of sixteen years can be assumed to be the payback period. Apart from the economical point of view it will help in the reduction of the public hearing cases as the energy that will be produced from the solar plant will be distributed amongst the nearby living communities.

REFERENCES

[1] US Environmental Protection Agency. 2001. “EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans” (QA/R-5). EPA/240/B-01/003, March 2001QA/R-5). http://www.epa.gov/quality/Quality Assurance Planps.html.

[2] http://www.theguardian.com/environment

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[5] www.loc.gov