At the El Abra Crush & Convey area, the design of the conveyor systems incorporates the efficient use of energy.  This CV-103 conveyor is one of three overland conveyors that transport ore material from the primary crusher in the mine to the secondary and tertiary crushing operations in the plant.  CV-103 is the longest of three conveyors, with a length of 9.6 kilometers, and includes a difference in elevation of 472 meters between the mine and the plant.  This drop in elevation is what provides the ability to generate electrical energy.  When the conveyor is fully loaded with material, it can produce a maximum of 5.6 megawatts of power.  During 2011, the conveyor CV-103 generated 7,247 megawatt hours of power or a total savings of approximately $1.6 million.

Power is generated when the conveyor is fully loaded.  The energy falling from the mine elevation to the plant elevation is greater than that required to power the conveyor itself.  When this condition exists, the additional energy provided by the material on the conveyor must be removed from the system to maintain a constant speed on the conveyor.  The energy removal comes in the form of power generation.  The conveyor belt generates power which, in turn, is input into the electrical grid of El Abra and reduces the overall energy requirements of the operation.

All the equipment involved in the operation of the belt, added to its load condition, transforms the movement into clean energy, without generating carbon emissions.  This ultimately helps improve the energy and environmental efficiency associated with this stage of the mining process.