Amid structural challenges, market developments and other strategic considerations, players in the African mining industry are increasingly adopting alternative-energy solutions, reports energy solutions provider Aggreko mining business development manager Etienne le Roux.

In particular, he explains that grid instability, constrained transmission capacity and frequent outages continue to expose mining operations, especially those in remote locations, to significant operational risk.

“This has increased the incentive for mining companies to pursue alternative and self-generated energy solutions to improve reliability and reduce dependence on national utilities,” says Le Roux.

Shifting commodity demand is also influencing energy strategies, with rising global demand for critical minerals required for electrification and clean-energy technologies intensifying production pressures on African mines.

In response, operators are increasingly prioritising energy solutions that offer long-term cost stability and support sustained production growth, he notes.

Alongside these trends, heightened scrutiny of mineral supply chains, coupled with efforts by major economies to secure access to strategic resources, has elevated expectations around resilience, sustainability and transparency in mining operations.

Investors, financiers and downstream customers are embedding environmental, social and governance considerations into procurement and financing decisions, making energy strategy a critical factor in maintaining competitiveness and securing access to capital, says Le Roux.

He adds that the global energy transition is further reinforcing this shift, adding that as mining underpins the clean energy value chain, companies face growing pressure to reduce the carbon intensity of their operations.

This has accelerated the adoption of cleaner energy sources and energy efficiency measures to align production practices with global decarbonisation objectives, states Le Roux.

Meanwhile, at an operational level, the wider adoption of technological innovation is enabling new approaches to energy supply. Here, advances in renewable generation, battery storage and energy management systems have improved the feasibility of hybrid and decentralised power solutions, even in offgrid mining locations, he notes.

Further, persistent infrastructure gaps across many parts of the African continent remain a significant constraint, with limited grid expansion and ageing energy infrastructure continuing to affect power availability. These gaps, notes Le Roux, have strengthened the case for modular, onsite energy systems that can operate independently of national networks.

Regulatory and policy developments are also shaping energy adoption, with many governments refining energy and mining frameworks to attract investment, promote cleaner energy use and meet national climate commitments, he says.

These regulatory reforms enable private power generation and renewable-energy procurement, explains Le Roux.

However, he notes that in some jurisdictions, uncertainty around energy regulations, permitting processes or private power generation can delay projects and limit flexibility in sourcing power.



Fit-for-purpose Solutions
Given the various trends and impacts mining operations are navigating, Le Roux positions hybrid solutions – which integrate diesel or gas generators with solar PV solutions and battery energy storage – as power generators capable of providing dependable baseload power, while solar reduces fuel consumption during daylight hours, supported by batteries which manage load fluctuations and intermittency.



Such solutions are typically deployed as self-contained microgrids, allowing multiple energy sources to operate together as a coordinated system. This improves reliability, particularly in regions with weak or unstable grids, and can be scaled according to a mine’s life cycle.