HVO 2009 Annual Environmental Management Report - Final
HVO 2009 Annual Environmental Management Report - Final
HVO 2009 Annual Environmental Management Report - Final
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Coal & Allied – Hunter Valley Operations<br />
During <strong>2009</strong> we introduced systems to ensure continued compliance with new Australian government<br />
legislation, completing assessments required by the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Act 2006 (EEO). <strong>HVO</strong><br />
identified eight opportunities and three significant opportunities that will be assessed as part of the integrated<br />
business planning process A report of our declared EEO projects will be available at www.riotinto.com.<br />
The three significant EEO projects in <strong>2009</strong> were:<br />
Effective Dragline Deployment - Goat Island<br />
Goat Island is a 180 metre box cut that was to be excavated using truck and shovel operation. An opportunity<br />
now exists to access the area using a dragline rather than truck and shovel. This one-off, single opportunity<br />
results in both operating cost and energy savings. The savings result from reduced diesel consumption (due<br />
to reduced truck hours) which outweighs increased electricity consumption due to the dragline's operation.<br />
The project was identified as an opportunity in <strong>2009</strong>. A business case is currently being developed to<br />
undertake the required work.<br />
Strip Design – Upper Liddell seam<br />
Specific mine planning for the Upper Liddell seam of coal extraction has indicated that a lower elevation of the<br />
pad (a key work zone) will result in a reduction of dozer time for each seam pass. The project was identified<br />
as an opportunity in <strong>2009</strong> and represents an annual efficiency improvement (from reduced dozer usage) for<br />
both cost and energy. This work is currently planned to progress in 2011.<br />
Install Hungry Boards to increase coal payload<br />
<strong>HVO</strong> proposes to install hungry boards on seven coal trucks which will potentially increase the payload from<br />
201 tonnes to 213 tonnes. Increasing payload will improve the efficiency of moving coal and reduce energy<br />
costs. Currently, different trays are used for overburden and coal. This project will result in enhanced<br />
matching of truck-tray type to specific tasks. The project was included in the <strong>2009</strong> EEO list of opportunities<br />
but is unlikely to be progressed until at least 2011 dependent on the availability of capital to undertake the<br />
design, fabrication and installation of the required modifications.<br />
AEMR <strong>2009</strong> 157