Scottish energy solutions company Aggreko has completed construction and commissioning of a new solar farm and battery system at Northern Star Resources’ Porphyry gold mine in Kalgoorlie.
The new solar and battery project consists of a 4.4MW solar farm fitted with 5B Maverick solar PV panels as well as two Aggreko Y.Cube battery energy storage systems with a capacity of 2MW/1MWh.
The project will supply power to the Porphyry gold mine and has been connected with the gold mine’s existing 5MW diesel power station which is also owned and operated by Aggreko. The solar and battery are expected to cut 1.67 million litres of diesel fuel each year.
Aggreko also expect the new solar and battery storage components to generate 7.4GWh of renewable energy each year and save 4,486 metric tonnes of CO2 annually.
Northern Star Resources’ Carosue Dam Operations general manager, John Albrecht, said the solar PV power will help boost the operation’s financial and environmental footprint.
“The off-grid power solution implemented provides a reliable, and cost-effective solution that can be scaled up and down as needed throughout our mine’s operational life cycle,” said Albrecht.
