Cooling systems consume up to 25% of the total electricity used on deep level mines. These systems are
integrated with the water reticulation system to provide chilled service water to the mine as well as cooling
for mine ventilation air. Although there is definite potential for demand-side management on these
systems, it is critical that the service delivery be maintained so as not to adversely affect productivity. An
energy saving strategy based on variable water flow was developed for the unique demands of integrated
mine cooling systems. The strategy is based on matching the evaporators with the demand of chilled
water; condensers adapting to the heat load; and the bulk air cooler matching the demand of ventilation
air requirements. In this paper, a case study is presented in which the savings and consequences of implementing
the developed energy saving strategy are investigated. It is shown that a decrease of 31.5% in
overall electrical energy usage is possible without affecting the service delivery or performance of the
cooling system.