Mining Industry Urged to Shift to Green Mining to Reduce Emissions
Transformation towards green mining practices is increasingly commanding attention in Indonesia’s mining sector amid mounting global pressure for decarbonisation and national commitments to reduce carbon emissions. The mining industry is now being encouraged to integrate more efficient, low-emission, and sustainable operational approaches to maintain competitiveness amid global energy landscape shifts.
As a strategic sector of the national economy, the mining industry contributes approximately 10.5% to Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the sector is entering an important transition phase aligned with the national target of reducing emissions by 31.89% by 2030, whilst facing heightened sustainability standards in global supply chains.
A major challenge in this transformation is the high operational dependence of mining on fossil fuels. Diesel-based energy remains widely used for power generation at remote mining sites and to support operational fleet mobility. This situation not only contributes to high carbon emissions but also affects cost efficiency and energy supply reliability in mining areas.
Globally, the mining sector is estimated to account for approximately 4%-7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a crucial sector in the transition towards a low-carbon economy. In line with this, industry players believe Indonesia’s mining sector is beginning to demonstrate readiness to adopt green mining practices. Nevertheless, implementation is considered necessary on a phased basis as each mining site has different operational characteristics and challenges.
Aditya Pratama, Chair of the Communication and Government Relations Committee of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI-ICMA), stated that the transformation towards green mining is increasingly viewed as a long-term business necessity.
“The transformation towards green mining is increasingly viewed as a long-term business necessity. The challenge is ensuring implementation can proceed faster and more widely, supported by increasingly ready technology ecosystems and strong collaboration between industry players, government, and solution providers,” he said.
In practice, implementing green mining requires an integrated energy system approach tailored to operational needs at each mining site. Integration of renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and operational monitoring technology is beginning to be considered to support more efficient and low-emission mining operations.
The utilisation of solar power plants (PLTS) at mining sites is increasingly relevant as it can address multiple needs simultaneously, such as reducing diesel dependence, improving operational cost efficiency, and strengthening energy supply resilience at remote locations. Battery-based energy storage systems also make solar energy utilisation more adaptive to the dynamic operational needs of mines.
Jefferson Kuesar, CEO of SUN Energy, stated that an effective green mining strategy must examine mining operations comprehensively.
“An effective green mining strategy needs to examine mining operations comprehensively. Integration of solar energy, energy storage, and monitoring systems becomes crucial so mining companies can reduce emissions whilst maintaining efficiency and operational continuity,” he said.
Beyond energy generation, electrification of operational fleets is also beginning to be viewed as the next strategic step in supporting lower-emission mining operations. Fleet mobility is one of the main components in mining operations, so the transition towards electric vehicles is considered capable of delivering significant impacts in both environmental and operational efficiency terms.
Karina Darmawan, CEO of SUN Mobility, explained that fleet electrification must be seen as part of broader operational transformation.
“Fleet electrification implementation needs to be adapted to mining characteristics, from fleet types, operational routes, usage intensity, to charging infrastructure readiness. If designed correctly, electrification can help mining companies reduce emissions whilst improving operational cost efficiency,” she said.
Going forward, the success of green mining transformation will be determined not only by technology readiness but also by strong collaboration among various stakeholders.
Through an integrated energy approach, SUN Energy has begun developing solutions encompassing PLTS construction, battery energy storage systems (BESS), electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and operational fleet electrification as part of efforts to support the transition towards green mining practices in Indonesia.