Gold producer Nordgold has launched a new 33 MW power plant at its Lefa gold mine, in Guinea.
The $30-million project was designed and built by Chinese manufacturing service group SUMEC – a subsidiary of the China National Machinery Industry Corporation.
The new heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plant has replaced the old facility, in turn reducing both fuel consumption for electricity production by 15% and engine oil by 30%.
This will result in a 17 000 t/y reduction in greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, which is in line with Nordgold’s climate change objectives, as well as its commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Original-equipment manufacturer Hyundai Heavy Industries provided the power plant’s main generating equipment.
The power plant will contribute to a significant reduction in operating costs, in addition to enhancing the stability of the electricity supply for over 15 years of Lefa’s life-of-mine.
Moreover, the installation of the latest fire detection systems will increase employee safety.
“The team on the ground . . . [completed] this ambitious project in just 18 months. We have achieved this success despite the challenging times of a global pandemic.
“The power plant enables us to both decrease GHG emissions and provide sustainable power generation for our Lefa mine, supporting potential expansion of the mine’s resources in the region,” Lefa power plant project manager Brian Nel said in an August 24 statement.
During construction, hundreds of additional jobs were created and main essential construction materials including sand, cement and gravel, besides others, were sourced locally from Guinean suppliers.
“We remain committed to investing in Guinea and to deliver knowledge transfer on advanced technology into Africa,” Nel said.