Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Our operations require certain energy inputs, which result in a variety of emissions, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In turn, GHGs are integrally linked to climate change, which is one of the world’s most pressing challenges.
We commit to being part of the global solution to this challenge. By effectively managing our energy needs, we may contribute to the reduction in GHG emissions across the mining sector and collectively help achieve global reduction targets, including those set out in the Paris Agreement.
Our Environmental Policy outlines our commitment to efficiently managing energy. Our operations currently manage energy use on a site-specific basis. We consider energy requirements and inputs as part of our mine planning and optimization exercises, including as part of project design. For example, by optimizing haul distances, grinding processes, and our mining fleet, we can increase our efficiency and reduce our energy requirements.
Energy and emissions management are key components of EIAs and corresponding management plans. We employ extensive environmental monitoring to track emissions to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Throughout 2019, we will develop an enterprise-level energy management framework for the business, which will be based on the Mining Association Canada (MAC) Energy and GHG Emissions Management Protocol. We will include provisions in the framework quantitative energy reduction targets to reduce our emissions intensity over time.
We will also further assess climate-related risks at our operations to determine the resiliency to changing climatic conditions. We have already identified a range of climate-related risks to our operations, including changes in rainfall rates, reduced water availability, higher temperatures, increased snowpack, and extreme weather events. In addition, rising temperatures could affect the seasonal ice road at the Seabee Gold Operation, which is essential to the delivery of supplies and equipment to the operation.
The following tables present our energy and emissions performance in 2018.
Table 4. Energy Consumption
| Total Electricity (MWh) | Total Diesel (000s L) | Total Propane (000s L) | Total Gasoline (000s L) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marigold mine | 36,143 | 39,888 | 169 | 471 |
| Seabee Gold Operation | 49,730 | 2,708 | 1,787 | 155 |
| Puna Operations | 47,470 | 1,783 | -9 | 6,767 |
| Consolidated | 133,343 | 44,379 | 1,956 | 7,393 |
Table 5. Emissions10
| Scope 1 (Direct)11 (in M kg CO2e) |
Scope 1 Intensity (per oz of gold equivalent produced) |
Scope 2 (Indirect) (in kg CO2e) |
Scope 2 Intensity (per oz of gold equivalent produced) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marigold mine | 106.1 | 517.1 | 23.5 | 114.7 |
| Seabee Gold Operation | 10.1 | 106.2 | 36.3 | 379.7 |
| Puna Operations | 19.6 | 442.0 | 18.7 | 422.8 |
| Consolidated | 135.8 | 393.7 | 78.5 | 227.6 |
9 Data not available
10 Methods used to calculate emissions are aligned with the World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
11 Emission factors for Scope 1 have been obtained using the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) conversion factors applying Global Warming Potential factors from the International Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assesment Report (AR4)