Sustainable Development of Abandoned Mine Areas Using Renewable Energy Systems: A Case Study of the Photovoltaic Potential Assessment at the Tailings Dam of Abandoned Sangdong Mine, Korea

Yosoon Choi and Jinyoung Song
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Yosoon Choi: Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 608-737, Korea
Jinyoung Song: Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 608-737, Korea

Sustainability, 2016, vol. 8, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: As mineral resources are depleted, most mines are typically abandoned and left unattended, resulting in serious social problems that impede sustainable development of these areas. The mining industry has recently introduced the use of renewable energy systems to solve the problems. This study assessed the photovoltaic (PV) potential of an abandoned mine tailings dam at the Sangdong mine in South Korea. A regional shading analysis and field investigations indicated that the usable area for installing the PV system was 44,220 m 2 . The design capacity of the system was 3 MW considering the space available for the PV array. Power generation was simulated by inputting data about the hourly weather, system design, and a site assessment into System Advisor Model software. Simulation results indicated that 3509 MWh of electricity could be generated annually. Moreover, economic feasibility analysis, assuming a 20 year project period, confirmed that the net present value of the PV systems would be $1,903,000 USD. Therefore, installing a 3 MW PV system on the mine tailings dam at the Sangdong mine is feasible and could provide an efficient option for sustainable development of the abandoned mine land.

Keywords: renewable energy; abandoned mine; mine tailings dam; photovoltaic system; feasibility study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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