Optimization of the compressed air-usage in South African mines

The critical electricity supply in South Africa has necessitated the implementation of demand-side management (DSM) projects. Load shifting and energy efficiency projects were introduced on mining sectors to reduce the electricity usage during day peak time. As the compressed air networks is using a large amount of mines´ electricity, we investigate in this paper the possibility of improving and optimizing the compressed air usage at two different mines to reduce the electricity consumption on the compressed air system.