Hybrid Wind–Redox Flow Battery System for Decarbonizing Off-Grid Mining Operations
Transitioning to sustainable energy systems is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially in remote industrial operations where diesel generators remain the dominant power source. This study examines the feasibility of integrating a redox flow battery (RFB) storage system to opt...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7147 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849320896100040704 |
|---|---|
| author | Armel Robert Baby-Jean Robert Mungyeko Bisulandu Adrian Ilinca Daniel R. Rousse |
| author_facet | Armel Robert Baby-Jean Robert Mungyeko Bisulandu Adrian Ilinca Daniel R. Rousse |
| author_sort | Armel Robert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Transitioning to sustainable energy systems is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially in remote industrial operations where diesel generators remain the dominant power source. This study examines the feasibility of integrating a redox flow battery (RFB) storage system to optimize wind energy utilization at the Raglan mining site in northern Canada, with the goal of reducing diesel dependency, enhancing grid stability, and improving energy security. To evaluate the effectiveness of this hybrid system, a MATLAB R2024b-based simulation model was developed, incorporating wind energy forecasting, load demand analysis, and economic feasibility assessments across multiple storage and wind penetration scenarios. Results indicate that deploying 12 additional E-115 wind turbines combined with a 20 MW/160 MWh redox flow battery system could lead to diesel savings of up to 63.98%, reducing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by 68,000 tonnes annually. However, the study also highlights a key economic challenge: the high Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) of CAD (Canadian dollars) 7831/MWh, which remains a barrier to large-scale implementation. For the scenario with high diesel economy, the LCOS was found to be CAD 6110/MWh, and the corresponding LCOE was CAD 590/MWh. While RFB integration improves system reliability, its economic viability depends on key factors, including reductions in electrolyte costs, advancements in operational efficiency, and supportive policy frameworks. This study presents a comprehensive methodology for evaluating energy storage in off-grid industrial sites and identifies key challenges in scaling up renewable energy adoption for remote mining operations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-da8deb60708149c6971d9bc2289b5a90 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-da8deb60708149c6971d9bc2289b5a902025-08-20T03:49:55ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-06-011513714710.3390/app15137147Hybrid Wind–Redox Flow Battery System for Decarbonizing Off-Grid Mining OperationsArmel Robert0Baby-Jean Robert Mungyeko Bisulandu1Adrian Ilinca2Daniel R. Rousse3Mechanical Engineering, T3E Research Group, École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), Montréal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaMechanical Engineering, T3E Research Group, École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), Montréal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaMechanical Engineering, T3E Research Group, École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), Montréal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaMechanical Engineering, T3E Research Group, École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), Montréal, QC H3C 1K3, CanadaTransitioning to sustainable energy systems is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially in remote industrial operations where diesel generators remain the dominant power source. This study examines the feasibility of integrating a redox flow battery (RFB) storage system to optimize wind energy utilization at the Raglan mining site in northern Canada, with the goal of reducing diesel dependency, enhancing grid stability, and improving energy security. To evaluate the effectiveness of this hybrid system, a MATLAB R2024b-based simulation model was developed, incorporating wind energy forecasting, load demand analysis, and economic feasibility assessments across multiple storage and wind penetration scenarios. Results indicate that deploying 12 additional E-115 wind turbines combined with a 20 MW/160 MWh redox flow battery system could lead to diesel savings of up to 63.98%, reducing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by 68,000 tonnes annually. However, the study also highlights a key economic challenge: the high Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) of CAD (Canadian dollars) 7831/MWh, which remains a barrier to large-scale implementation. For the scenario with high diesel economy, the LCOS was found to be CAD 6110/MWh, and the corresponding LCOE was CAD 590/MWh. While RFB integration improves system reliability, its economic viability depends on key factors, including reductions in electrolyte costs, advancements in operational efficiency, and supportive policy frameworks. This study presents a comprehensive methodology for evaluating energy storage in off-grid industrial sites and identifies key challenges in scaling up renewable energy adoption for remote mining operations.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7147decarbonizationrenewable energiesenergy storageredox flow batterieswind energyeconomic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Armel Robert Baby-Jean Robert Mungyeko Bisulandu Adrian Ilinca Daniel R. Rousse Hybrid Wind–Redox Flow Battery System for Decarbonizing Off-Grid Mining Operations Applied Sciences decarbonization renewable energies energy storage redox flow batteries wind energy economic analysis |
| title | Hybrid Wind–Redox Flow Battery System for Decarbonizing Off-Grid Mining Operations |
| title_full | Hybrid Wind–Redox Flow Battery System for Decarbonizing Off-Grid Mining Operations |
| title_fullStr | Hybrid Wind–Redox Flow Battery System for Decarbonizing Off-Grid Mining Operations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hybrid Wind–Redox Flow Battery System for Decarbonizing Off-Grid Mining Operations |
| title_short | Hybrid Wind–Redox Flow Battery System for Decarbonizing Off-Grid Mining Operations |
| title_sort | hybrid wind redox flow battery system for decarbonizing off grid mining operations |
| topic | decarbonization renewable energies energy storage redox flow batteries wind energy economic analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/13/7147 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT armelrobert hybridwindredoxflowbatterysystemfordecarbonizingoffgridminingoperations AT babyjeanrobertmungyekobisulandu hybridwindredoxflowbatterysystemfordecarbonizingoffgridminingoperations AT adrianilinca hybridwindredoxflowbatterysystemfordecarbonizingoffgridminingoperations AT danielrrousse hybridwindredoxflowbatterysystemfordecarbonizingoffgridminingoperations |