Minimum Operational Emissions in Earthmoving

Abstract

The paper explores minimum emission configurations in earthmoving and like operations, including quarrying and open-cut mining. Emissions data, based on field observations and available in the public literature, are used to derive operation configurations that lead to minimum emissions. Such configurations are compared with conventional minimum cost solutions in order to give guidance as to the best way to configure and manage earthmoving operations. Variables considered in the analyses performed include truck fleet size, truck capacity and loading, loader capacity and haul route parameters. It can be shown for certain assumptions and configurations that the minimum emissions per production solution coincides with the minimum cost per production solution. In such circumstances, managing earthmoving, quarrying and open-cut mining operations in conventional costefficient ways leads to least emissions; it also follows that not managing such operations in a cost-efficient way will lead to unnecessary emissions. The paper's derivations are original and will be of interest to those designing and managing earthmoving, quarrying and open-cut mining operations, particularly with reference to sustainability.