Photo by: Duane Daws
KALGOORLIE (miningweekly.com) – Gold miner Westgold Resources has started operations at its new 17.9 MW hybrid power facility at Tuckabiana, in Western Australia, replacing an existing diesel-fired power station and reducing some 15 000 t of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions and 10-million litres of yearly diesel fuel consumption.
The Tuckabianna hybrid power facility is the first of four new facilities planned across Westgold’s Western Australian operations.
“Westgold continues to innovate to reduce our greenhouse-gas emissions and drive our operating costs down. This new hybrid power facility at Tuckabianna incorporates renewable energy and is a great first step along this journey, with power generated from these facilities energising our mines and processing hubs for decades to come,” said Westgold MD Wayne Bramwell.
“The successful commissioning of Tuckabianna is a testament to the tireless work of Westgold’s project and operational teams, business partners at Pacific Energy and CEFA and construction crews who have delivered our first power station safely and on schedule.”
The hybrid power facility consists of a 6 MW solar farm, a battery energy storage system with a 2.4 MW installed capacity, and a 9.5 MW gas-fuelled power station.
These hybrid power facilities are expected to reduce Westgold’s yearly diesel fuel consumption by 38-million litres and lower yearly CO2 equivalent emissions by approximately 57 000 t. Westgold expects its all-in sustaining costs to reduce by approximately A$60/oz owing to lower-cost energy being provided by these new hybrid power facilities.