Sustainable open pit mining through GHG-conscious short-term production scheduling

The mining industry is a notable contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, posing challenges to achieving the Paris Agreement’s goal of capping emissions at 30 Gt CO2-equivalent annually by 2030. This paper introduces a novel Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model tailored for short-term open-pit mine planning that integrates environmental considerations, particularly GHG emissions, alongside economic objectives. The model handles complex operational challenges including block sequencing, multiple transport destinations, and stockpile management. Additionally, it provides the opportunity to examine the adoption of In-Pit Crushing and Conveying (IPCC) systems as the main transport method, an innovative approach aimed at reducing emissions from haulage–which accounts for over 35% of GHG emissions in open-pit mining. Applied to a case study in an iron ore mine, the model not only considers the environmental benefits of IPCC systems compared to traditional truck and shovel (TS) operations but also highlights significant reductions in haulage costs and carbon tax liabilities. The findings demonstrate that fixed IPCC (FIPCC) systems, in particular, offer substantial decreases in GHG emissions, presenting a compelling case for their broader adoption in the industry.