Modern Mining August 2023

CLIMATE CHANGE

education programme to educate coastal communi ties on ocean related aspects. “The Kelp Blue project is an extremely inspiring and innovative one,” says Hund. Aside from adopting equipment that runs on clean energy sources, including hydrogen trucks piloted by Anglo American, the miner is also evalu ating the option of using synthetic fuels as they are cleaner and significantly improve efficiency levels. Another interesting initiative is a diesel replace ment pilot project Debswana is executing with the University of Botswana, which entails testing the use of beef tallow as a feedstock for biofuel. Further to this, De Beers has committed to work ing with suppliers in its value chain to further reduce its Scope 3 emissions. By calling on its suppliers to reduce their carbon footprints, the miner is thus influ encing its entire mining value chain. “A large part of our Scope 3 emissions come from the equipment we use, as well as the raw materi als, such as steel and cement. To achieve the 25% reduction of our Scope 3 emissions target, De Beers is negotiating and signing MOUs with key suppliers to fulfill the biggest part of our Scope 3 emissions reduction commitment,” explains Hund. Further to this, the company is evaluating several initiatives, including partnering with the local commu nity to advance sustainable farming and agriculture. “In a broad sense, we consider prudential, regen erative agriculture and other such projects that will help us sequester carbon emissions. As we continue to innovate and implement projects, we are also con stantly recalibrating to ensure our programmes are holistic and deliver to what we set out to deliver,” says Hund. Venetia – a poster child for sustainability The miner, which is ramping up development of the Venetia Underground Project (VUP) and delivering its first underground production in the second quar ter of this year, has a number of initiatives in place, including those related to reducing emissions in Scope 1 (related to direct emissions) and Scope 2 (related to indirect emissions emanating from the use of fossil fuel generated electricity) at the mine. According to Louw Swartz (energy and carbon manager), De Beers is committed to achieving Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon neutrality at Venetia by 2030, with the mine expecting to reduce its car bon emissions from 380 000 t-CO 2 e per annum to 25 000 t-CO 2 e per annum by 2030 through effi ciency initiatives and fossil fuel and fossil electricity replacement initiatives. In addition, the mine is cur rently considering several carbon capture and offset initiatives as part of its strategy to abate the remain ing 25 000 t-CO 2 e and achieve carbon neutrality in 2030. From an Opportunity Scoping pipeline of some 30 initiatives, De Beers has prioritised around 12 Key

example of a nature-based solution being adopted by De Beers that not only helps address our climate goals but also supports skills development and job creation in Namibia.”

Solar panels on the roof of De Beers Group Industry Services Building.

The start-up is fast becoming an engine for growth and innovation in the area, estimated to create about 300 jobs in Lüderitz and providing much needed employment to the local community. The programme is receiving high level interest from masters and PhD students and encouraging the uptake of a whole new genera tion of Namibian oceanographers. Kelp Blue has also set up the Blue School, which teaches local chil dren to appreciate the wonders of the natural world, with a particular focus on the desert and marine environments of Lüderitz. It has also developed an initiative that teaches

De Beers Group invested US$2million in Kelp Blue to help restore the natural ocean wilderness.

local children to swim. In an area where there are few opportunities to learn to swim, children drown each year. The start-up has also initiated an ocean

Scope 1: Direct emissions These are emissions from sources owned or controlled by the company directly, as well as emissions produced from on-site process chemistry. Scope 1 includes four categories of emissions sources: stationary combus tion, mobile emissions, process emissions and fugitive emissions. Scope 2: Electricity indirect emissions These are emissions from purchased or acquired electricity, steam, heat, and cooling consumed by the industrial site. They are indirect as the emissions themselves occur at the point of generation. Scope 3: Indirect emissions within a company’s value chain This includes all other indirect emissions that are a consequence of the activi ties of the company but occur from sources not owned or controlled by the company. For example, extraction and production of purchased materials, transportation of purchased fuels and use of sold products and services.

26  MODERN MINING  August 2023