Australian renewable-powered mine to supply “green gold” for repairs to London’s St Paul’s Cathedral

Australian gold miner Bellevue Gold has been selected as the exclusive gold supplier for the refurbishment of London’s famous St Paul’s Cathedral, because of its ability to produce so-called “green gold” – gold mined primarily using renewable energy.

Bellevue’s green gold was a key factor in securing the contract to supply gold for the regilding of the ball and cross atop the 111-metre-tall dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and its Golden Gallery, which was last gilded in 1863.

The Bellevue gold mine is one of the leading examples of renewable-powered off-grid facilities, sourcing 83.5 per cent of its power needs from wind and solar over the 2026 financial year.

It reached a record 93.8 per cent share in February, and claimed 155 hours of “engines off” operations at the mine this year, when it was supplied only with its wind, solar and battery storage installations.

Bellevue has also invested in quality, Australian-based carbon credits that it says makes it the first gold mine in the world to reach net zero emissions. Many Australian miners are focused on producing low carbon commodities because of international demand.

Bellevue is powered by a 90-megawatt (MW) hybrid power station built and operated by Zenith Energy. It comprises four wind turbines with a combined capacity of 24 MW, a 27 MW solar farm, a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 15 MW/33-megawatt-hours (MWh), as well as 24 MW of back-up thermal generation.

The contract was awarded after a site visit by a representative from gold certification and traceability initiative Single Mine Origin (SMO) and the Second Warden of the 700-year-old Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, more commonly known as The Goldsmiths’ Company, one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London, which received its first royal charter in 1327.

“To be selected as the exclusive supplier of gold to St Paul’s Cathedral is a huge honour,” said Darren Stralow, Bellevue’s managing director and CEO.

“The Cathedral’s Golden Gallery was last regilded in 1863, and the use of our ‘green gold’ means this will be a multi-generational legacy for Bellevue. We are incredibly proud of the sustainable practices we have put in place, and it is an immense achievement to be the gold provider of choice for St Paul’s Cathedral in London.”

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