TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Canadian diversified miner Teck Resources is piloting the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel source in six haul trucks at its Fording River steelmaking coal operation, in south-east British Columbia, making it the first use of LNG as a haul truck fuel at a Canadian mine site.

"LNG is a fuel source that has the potential to lower costs, significantly reduce emissions and improve environmental performance at our operations. We are committed to minimising our own carbon footprint while at the same time continuing to provide the mining products that are essential to building a modern, low-carbon society,” Teck president and CEO Don Lindsay said on Wednesday.

The TSX-listed miner stressed that the use of blended LNG/diesel-fuelled haul trucks had the potential for significant environmental benefits and cost savings.

LNG produced virtually no particulate or sulphur dioxide emissions and reduced greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by up to 20% in comparison to diesel alone. The technology provided the potential to eliminate about 35 000 t of carbon dioxide emissions a year at Teck's steelmaking coal operations and could potentially reduce fuel costs by more than $20-million a year by adopting LNG and diesel hybrid fuel across the operations.

FortisBC was transporting and supplying LNG to the mine site and was making a financial contribution towards the pilot, Teck said.

The company noted that the pilot was one of the steps it was taking to achieve its long-term target to reduce GHG emissions by 450 000 t/y at its operations by 2030. To date, Teck had reduced emissions by 170 000 t/y, as the result of initiatives implemented since 2011.

Teck, with support from FortisBC, had upgraded the Fording River operations truck maintenance shop, provided engine conversion kits, installed fuelling facilities and implemented a comprehensive safety programme in advance of the pilot.

The pilot was expected to run until mid-2016 and would provide more information about the potential of using LNG more broadly across Teck's haul truck fleet, creating the opportunity for further fleet conversions to LNG in the future.