Energy solutions company Aggreko is expanding the solar farm and battery energy storage system (BESS) at Gold Fields’ (JSE:GFI) Granny Smith Mine in Western Australia.
This expansion will further reduce the carbon intensity of the mine and the overall power cost for Gold Fields.
Once expanded, the gold mine will have a total of 19 megawatt of solar capacity and 9 megawatt/4.5 megawatt per hour of BESS capacity installed. Aggreko says this will result in a renewable energy fraction of 21%, saving 443,304 gigajoules of gas and 22,843 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum.
Managing Director George Whyte says Aggreko’s focus is on efficiency and reliability in line with the power demand over the mine life, alongside contributing to the decarbonisation of the region.
The decarbonisation of Granny Smith began almost eight years ago, as Aggreko replaced the existing diesel power station with a high-speed, gas-fuelled reciprocating engine station.
In 2019, the company further advanced the mine’s power system by adding 7.7 megawatt (MW) peak solar and 2 MW/1 megawatt per hour BESS of renewable generation.
Further, the solar farm expansion comes ahead of Gold Fields conducting a Pre-Feasibility Study, investigating how it could go on to generate 75% of Granny Smith’s energy requirements from renewable sources, including increased solar, a larger battery, and a wind farm later in the decade.
Granny Smith Mine General Manager Mark Glazebrook says this a great step forward in the mine’s decarbonisation journey and the company seeks to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and deliver its ESG commitments.
“The expanded hybrid power station not only makes our operation more cost efficient and improves energy reliability, but it also demonstrates our commitment to accelerate renewable usage across all Gold Fields sites.”
Aggreko is focused on reaching net zero emissions from all facilities and operations by 2035, and a 30% reduction in the emissions intensity of energy solutions by 2030.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Aggreko
