Gold Fields' hybrid renewable energy project at Agnew gold mine
International project developer Juwi has successfully completed the first stage of the development of one of Australia’s largest hybrid renewable micro-grid projects.
Juwi’s Australian subsidiary, Juwi Renewable Energy, had installed a 4 MW single axis tracking photovoltaic (PV) system at Gold Fields’ Agnew gold mine, in Australia.
The installation includes a cloud forecasting and advanced micro-grid control system to enable integration with the mine’s off-grid network.
The work was undertaken on behalf of global distributed energy producer EDL at a 23 MW power station. The power station integrates 4 MW of solar PV generation with 19 MW of gas and diesel generation to power the mine.
The next stage of the project will bring in 18 MW of wind generation, a 13 MW battery and an advanced micro-grid control system, which is currently under construction and due to be completed by the middle of next year.
Once completed, the Agnew hybrid renewable project will have a total installed generation capacity of 54 MW, with renewables providing more than half of the gold mine’s power requirements.
“With this project, EDL and Gold Fields are leading the way towards clean, renewable energy to power remote, off-grid mining operations without compromising reliability or power quality.
“Valued at A$112-million, or $76-million, the project has significant implications for hybrid deployment in the mining industry. Hybrid technology is proving to be an intelligent and efficient solution towards securing energy security, optimising energy costs and reducing [a company’s] carbon footprint,” states EDL CEO James Harman.