Energy Technology in the Mining Sector Paves the Way for Other Industries 

Media Release 9 June 2021

Miners asking for big, bold ideas to supply renewable energy are pathing the way for other industries across the world. 

Rod Saffy, the Global Head of Mining at Aggreko, said miners were constantly looking for innovative power solutions to help companies achieve their emission targets.

“Where there once may have been a reluctance to embrace new technology, miners are now needing it – asking us for bold ideas,” Mr Saffy said. “As a result, most of our new technology is finding its way into the mining space before it is finding its way into other sectors.

“In our company alone, our hybrid solutions have created so much interest, our teams across the globe are applying these complex solutions, first deployed within the mining community and then to other sectors such as oil and gas, data centres, and major events. The mining industry has become very innovative and that’s exciting for us.”

Lars Stephan, who heads strategy and markets at Aggreko’s renewable division echoed Mr Saffy’s comments, suggesting the next few years alone would result in a massive transformation of the mining sector as miners incorporated renewables to their energy mix. 

“Our hybrid projects, such as the Granny Smith project, are quite ahead of the curve and undoubtedly will be transported to the rest of the mining industry and to the rest of the world as well,” Mr Stephan said.

Mr Stephan said, as the world’s leading mobile and modular provider for power generation, Aggreko had multiple teams dedicated specifically to bringing new and innovative technology to our customers, with the terms innovation and technology being at the heart of the company’s values and strategic direction.

“New technology our teams are currently looking at across different sectors include green hydrogen, modular wind solution and re-deployable solar solutions. We are certainly scanning to see what will become relevant to our customers,” Mr Stephan said.

In mining specifically, Nicolas Boruchowicz, Head of Renewables and Energy Storage solutions said Aggreko was now trialing state-of-the-art mobile and containerized PV solutions, after securing four major solar contracts to power mines throughout their lifecycle.

“While bringing the benefits of solar integration, those units will be highly mobile, and provide flexible solar power to mines and rural communities for a shorter contract duration of below five years or even months. This innovation has the potential to open the door to more renewable power for the mining industry and in locations that previously seemed out of scope.”

Aggreko is one of the only power companies of its kind to align itself with the big miners, committed to reduce its carbon emissions and its use of diesel with customers by 50% by 2030 and achieving net-zero across its fleet by 2050. 


When asked if he had one piece of advice for the mining sector today, Mr Saffy said: “Whatever you do, don’t make a long-term investment in an energy source. In today’s fast evolving energy landscape, long term commitments may lead to stranded assets and tied up capital, especially with the constant innovation in energy technology.

“We offer a risk free, 100 per cent reliable solution, addressing your immediate requirements and staying flexible with the energy source as it evolves into the future.

“We don’t know right now what technologies will help get us to net-zero by 2050 but we will continue to search the market for innovation and work with our mining customers to get there.”

About Aggreko in the mining industry:

Aggreko was established in 1962 and is now the world’s largest provider of mobile modular power, temperature control and energy services. For at least 30 years, Aggreko has been a leading power supplier in the global mining sector.

The global mining sector turns to Aggreko to provide mobile modular power, temperature control and energy services for their projects – whether it be for day-to-day operational needs or the entire life of a mine.

Aggreko is the only company offering this full range of standardised services to the mining industry globally. Active in more than 80 countries, Aggreko’s experienced team partners with industry professionals to maintain production, decrease capital investment, and reduce carbon emissions, while providing operational efficiency.

To find out more about Aggreko’s energy mix solutions, contact Aggreko Global Head of Mining, Rod Saffy: [email protected]

For more information, images, and interview requests regarding this release, please contact:

Hannah Frankish
Director, Ironbark Marketing.
[email protected]
+61 406 702 177