Efficiency of modern power engineering is defined as “maximizing efficiency of applying all types of resources and technologies to production, transmission, distribution and consumption of power”. Over 50% of the total amount of power consumed by Ukraine’s industry is used by its mining enterprises as belonging energy-intensive types, this negatively affecting cost for their products – iron ore raw materials. The power component of over 90% makes the most significant impact on the above-mentioned basic indicator of functioning of iron ore mining enterprises’ economy. This is due to the current technology of iron ore mining and the corresponding energy-intensive types of equipment involved. However, the problem of energy intensity of underground iron ore mining enterprises is not limited only to significant volumes of installed electrical capacities of their consumers. A significant impact, both on their own internal power complex and on the functioning of centralized generating companies, is also exerted by power consumption modes of these enterprises. In this aspect, the greatest fluctuations in the levels of power consumption depend on hours of the day, reaching 70-80% on average. This primarily results from the in-pit crushing and conveying technology of mining operations and, to a certain extent, frivolous administrative influence on this process by the enterprises themselves. Complexes pumping natural groundwater to the day surface into special reservoirs are noted for the greatest range of the above-mentioned fluctuations compared to other consumers. Simultaneously, these technological complexes – power consumers classified as main drainage facilities – require over 30% of the total volume of power consumed by an underground mine and are the most energy-intensive among other types of stationary facilities at these mine types. The established total power capacity of electric motors of water pumps of water drainage complexes for each underground mine in Ukraine makes 17-18 GW. The research aims at developing methods and measures to reduce energy intensity of mining enterprises by making variable energy-efficient managerial solutions for functioning of the control system of power consumption of main water drainage complexes at iron ore underground mines. The thesis also solves the scientific problem of developing methods and tools to reduce energy intensity of mining enterprises by increasing energy efficiency of functioning of main water drainage complexes of iron ore underground mines. The format of well-known and, to a certain extent, proven trends in the above-mentioned context of scientific search enables improving energy efficiency of water drainage complexes by applying the following option. Based on the platform for water drainage complexes functioning in the "power consumer-regulator" mode, it is suggested to supplement this complex and make a synergistic option – "power consumer-regulator-producer". In this format, the process of improving energy efficiency of mining enterprises consists in restructuring existing power structures with centralized power supply, converting them into those with autonomous power supply sources and automated control over them. The above option is characterized by a significant potential in achieving the maximum energy efficiency of national mining enterprises, in particular, of their water drainage complexes. Technologically, it is expedient to include some smart control elements into the ACS functioning, which are designated to determine and respond to processes of chaotic and uncertain nature characteristic of current changes in technological parameters of the water drainage process. Meanwhile, according to the research, the ways of such a "transparent" at first glance solution are far from being trivial. Based on the research conclusions, it can be ascertained that to obtain a tangible effect from energy saving measures implemented at ore mining enterprises and adopt appropriate steps to change the algorithm of the water drainage technology, one needs to apply differentiated assessment of the impact of technological components of the analyzed process accompanied by a relevant response of the control system to these impacts.
