PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Copper miner Oz Minerals has launched an energy and mining collaboration (EMC) with six other organisations to investigate renewable energy and demand management related activities on a mine site.

The first project as part of the EMC programme would see a trial installation of a near 250 kW hybrid energy solution facility including solar, wind and a battery in the first half of 2020, located at the Carrapateena mine site in an area demarcated for piloting and prototyping. 

Oz Minerals’ Carrapateena project, in South Australia, is on track for first concentrate production in the fourth quarter of 2019, after which the project will ramp up to full production over the following 18 months.

The miner said that the trial installation will have an approximately 250 kW hybrid energy solution consisting of solar, wind, battery storage, connection to existing diesel generators, and a Smart Grid controller for data access and tracking.

The South Australian government has welcomed the hybrid energy generation power station, saying that Oz Minerals’ collaboration with SunSHIFT to develop an off-grid energy solution for remote mining sites would provide the South Australian mining sector with a commercial model for the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage at off-grid sites integrated with diesel backup.

“Low cost, reliable power is vital for our mining industry and this power plant will help forge the path to a cheaper and cleaner energy future,” said Energy and mining Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan.

“The remote location of mines often means they operate completely off grid and are heavily reliant on diesel-fuel powered generators.

“Oz Minerals’ power plant will demonstrate the commercial value of a wind and solar PV asset at a remote mine site, and thereby enhancing the feasibility of mines in the development phase.”

The project will be supported by A$1-million grant made available through the state government’s Renewable Technology Fund, to be paid over the project’s construction.

Other partners in the EMC include Adelaide University, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Department of Energy and Mining, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and the Tonsley Innovation Precinct.

The collaboration platform will investigate renewable energy and demand management related activities on a mine site, with a view to developing and identifying opportunities for an international showcase that optimises electrical and fuel demand and the integration of renewable energy systems.

This will be done via the creation of true partnerships around the testing of energy and technology hypotheses to unlock transformational value in mining.

Oz Minerals CEO Andrew Cole said mining companies could play a critical role in South Australia’s energy transition.

“To do this sustainably, we need to develop solutions which enable us to integrate more renewable energy generation on mine sites, whilst ensuring we can manage our demand,” he said.

“Our vision is to build the first internationally recognised collaboration hub for renewable energy and demand management related activities on a mine site.

“The EMC is open to all who want to participate, establishing a true partnership model that fosters collaboration towards shared goals in the mining industry and beyond; unlocking transformational value,” Cole said.