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Energy efficiency and reactive power optimization for open-pit mining operations

How a leading coal producer used CENTO to cut energy losses, stabilize voltage, and implement a digital power management strategy across its mining sites

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Open pit mining relies on heavy electrical loads that operate under harsh conditions and fluctuating demand. Voltage drops, unstable power factors and reactive power spikes can increase losses and put critical equipment at risk. To keep operations stable, companies use reactive power optimization for open pit mining to maintain a balanced electrical environment across the site. With continuous monitoring, real time analytics and intelligent control of power factor and compensation systems, mining operators reduce waste, prevent overloads and support reliable performance of all high demand equipment.

A global leader in the production and export of high-grade anthracite faced increasing energy demands as mining output expanded. The operation’s power consumption is highly mobile, with electric excavators accounting for up to 80% of total usage. Continuous operation of these excavators is critical to maintaining production flow, placing heavy stress on the site’s electrical infrastructure.

Business challenges

The mining enterprise struggled with voltage drops that caused drives to operate below nominal performance. Network losses reached up to 15%, and a high level of reactive energy further reduced overall system efficiency. These issues led to unstable power quality, potential downtime risks, and increased operational costs.

Solution

By implementing CENTO as part of a “digital power management” concept, the company built a unified monitoring and control system for electricity and technical water accounting. Through data-driven analysis and equipment pairing, the enterprise achieved:

  • Reactive power compensation: combining excavators with both capacitive and inductive loads, supported by accurate annual data to size compensators correctly
  • Reduced transmission losses: from 2 MW down to 500–600 kW
  • Voltage stability: elimination of spikes and sags that previously reached 1 kV and affected the entire site’s power grid
  • Balanced power distribution: correction of transformer tap misalignments that caused 100 A overloads across sections
  • Water efficiency: improved metering and control reduced discharge-related costs to local rivers by more than 60%

Results and next steps

By integrating energy accounting, analytics, and optimization within one digital environment, the mining company created a stable, transparent, and efficient foundation for sustainable energy use across its operations.

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