Construction is soon to commence on Australia’s largest off-grid solar power and energy storage facility, serving Sandfire’s DeGrussa copper mine in Western Australia.
The project is expected to have a significant impact on diesel consumption and carbon emissions at the DeGrussa site, according to Sandfire, saving 12,000 t of CO2 annually.
The 10.6 MW array of 34,080 solar panels will be spread over 20 ha, and will be integrated with 6 MW of battery storage. The design includes single-axis tracking technology. Once completed, it will be one of the world’s largest integrated solar installations providing peak load power to a mining operation.
Approximately half the cost of the $40 million plant is being borne by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and another $15 million has been committed by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).
Juwi, a German renewable energy firm, will develop and operate the project in a power purchase agreement with Sandfire. French firm Neoen will own the facility after construction.
The solar array will also be integrated with the existing 19 MW diesel fired power station at DeGrussa, which is owned and operated by Kalgoorlie Power Systems. The diesel station will continue to provide baseload power to the mine, with sufficient minimum load to respond quickly to meet the power requirements of the process plant and underground mine.
Sandfire’s managing director Karl Simich the firm had some time ago identified solar power as an opportunity for a low risk renewable energy initiative at DeGrussa. He suggested the project could become a reference site for the use of off-grid solar and battery storage technology in the mining industry.
News of the project’s commencement follows a controversial directive from the Abbot government to redirect CEFC funding towards large scale solar such as the DeGrussa array, away from rooftop installations and wind energy.
Caption: An artist’s impression of the completed array at DeGrussa. Photo: Sandfire
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