CEMI, The Sudbury – based Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation is working with a European company to recycle warm mine ventilation air in a bid to save money on the cost of warming the fresh air for mines in the winter.
In a news release issued this month, CEMI said it believesthe mining industry is ready for disruption. This disruption will happen through step-change and game-changing solutions resulting from
1) the integration of technologies from other industry sectors and,
2) the adoption of technologies emerging out of global innovation ecosystems, said the news release from that agency.
CEMI has entered into a commercialization services engagement with Norway based Gupex, an industrial engineering firm, to commercialize a game-changing heat-exchanger technology in Canada. CEMI believes the Gupex solution is a step-change in the area of greening the process whereby mining companies use propane to heat the winter air for underground mines.
Ventilation exhaust air from the mines is both warm and humid and therefore full of energy, said CEMI. This energy up until now has been released into the environment as waste. GUPEX has a cost-effective patented method of recovering heat from this exhaust air and preheating the fresh ventilation air to the mine shaft. This results in -45% reduction in CO2 related pollution and the system offers an attractive pay-back on capital investment.
With a lifetime of over +50 years, the Gupex solution promises reduced environmental impact, savings in propane and electricity consumption.
About CEMI
Incorporated in Canada in 2007 – CEMI’s objective is to help the mining sector achieve a step-change improvement in performance by accelerating the commercial adoption of innovations in mines and by increasing the innovation capacity of the mining service companies that deliver techniques and technologies to the industry. CEMI offers innovation scouting and challenge solution matching services and works through networked solutions teams to accelerate the commercialization of vetted and validated mining innovations. CEMI can be reached via: Charles at: [email protected], www.cemi.ca
About GUPEX
Gupex AS is headquartered in Norway. An international engineering company, specialized in design and installation of a more environment-friendly and sustainable heat exchangers and heat recovery units, suitable for moist, dusty and corrosive industrial air environments. Throughout their 30 years of innovation and technological development, they have delivered multiples successful projects in several countries, with a favorable payback time and a very long operating life expectancy. Gupex can be reached via: Ellen at: [email protected], www.mineairheater.com
