Largest renewables-mining project goes solar
The first of 34,080 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels have been installed at Australia’s largest renewables mining project in central Western Australia.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $20.9 million to support the $40 million project, which will see 10.6 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) with storage installed at the DeGrussa Copper-Gold Mine.
Solar engineering company juwi is responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance of the facility, while OTOC will undertake all surveying and on-site construction and installation services.
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the project would show how mining operations can benefit from renewable energy.
“Construction of the 10.6 MW solar plant is well underway. Around 4700 steel posts are installed and mounting of the single-axis tracking system and solar panels has begun,” Frischknecht said.
“This is another demonstration of how rapidly construction of solar PV plants can advance in remote locations once projects are underway. ARENA maintains a strong focus on encouraging off-grid industries to adopt more renewable energy.
“Solar and storage can offer a clear win-win in many off-grid applications by providing more predictable running costs that are often cheaper over the long term compared to diesel generators.”
Solar PV will provide the majority of the mine’s daytime electricity requirements, offsetting around 5 million litres of diesel per annum or more than 20% of total diesel consumption.
Frischknecht said knowledge sharing was an integral part of the project that could drive down the cost of future projects and help increase the mining industry’s confidence in renewables.
“Performance data will make it easier for mining companies to evaluate the risks of integrating renewable energy with existing diesel generation and illustrate the potential diesel and cost savings that can be achieved,” Frischknecht said.
The project is scheduled for completion in early 2016.
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