PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The 56 MW Agnew hybrid renewable project at gold miner Gold Field’s Agnew mine, in Western Australia, has been completed.
Energy producer EDL on Monday said that all five wind turbines were now operational and have been successfully integrated into Australia’s largest hybrid renewable microgrid, the first in the country to power a mine with wind-generated electricity.
The A$112-million project comprises four key components controlled by an advanced microgrid system, including five wind turbines delivering an 18 MW wind farm, a 10 710-panel 4 MW solar farm and a 13 MW / 4 MWh Battery Energy Storage System and an off-grid 12 MW gas/diesel engine power plant.
Gold Fields executive VP for Australia Stuart Mathews said the project was an important milestone for the company, as well as for EDL and the broader mining industry.
“We are proud to be able to showcase this project with EDL as an outstanding example of the capacity of the hybrid renewable energy model to meet the dynamic power requirements of remote mining operations.
“For our people and our stakeholders, this is a very clear demonstration of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint while strengthening our security of supply. Having built our own internal technical capability and developed relationships with our business partners, we are well placed to continue to implement renewable solutions elsewhere in our business.”