Solar and battery to deliver 80 pct of remote off-grid gold mining town’s power supply

• An off-grid gold mining town in a remote part of Western Australia’s famous goldfields region is to source 80 per cent of its power needs from solar and a battery under a new project announced on Wednesday.

The town of Menzies, with 100 residents, will be equipped with a 409 kW solar array and 2.8 megawatt hours of battery storage, with diesel relegated from its primary supply to the roll of back-up.

The new system is to be designed, built and operated by Pacific Energy, which is expected to complete the project by the middle of next year. It is also upgrading the 3.6 MW diesel system at another off-grid community, Laverton.

The share of renewables is similar to that already being achieved at other off-grid and remote communities, with a number of mines (such as the Kathleen Valley mine pictured above) achieving even higher shares – up to 95 per cent or more – although these are usually helped by the addition of wind turbines.

See: Off-grid gold mine achieves record 93.8 pct renewables share over whole month

“I’m thrilled to see that Menzies will soon run on 80 per cent renewable energy, one of the highest rates in the State,” state energy and decarbonisation minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said in a statement.

“This is a story that we will see repeated around the State as we undergo the energy transition and move towards net zero.”

A number of off-grid towns in the Goldfields and Gascoyne region managed by the state-owned regional power company Horizon Energy were earmarked to transition to 100 per cent renewables in a program launched five years ago.

However, that government-funded project found that going 100 per cent renewables was not viable, and instead aimed to achieve a high share of renewables in its place.

In the case of Menzies, located 130 km north of Kalgoorlie, the existing diesel generators are nearing the end of their life, and will now be replaced by a new hybrid system. A power purchase agreement with Pacific Energy was signed in February.

“Replacing this infrastructure will improve reliability, reduce emissions and ensure the system can meet future demand, including new residential and industry connections,” Horizon Energy says in its project page.

Horizon Energy says that Menzies resident power bills are set by tariffs that are heavily subsidised by the government. “Introducing renewable energy generation as part of this project may reduce the cost of serving the town, but will not directly affect your bills,” it says.

The new power station, solar array and battery system will be constructed on land located approximately 280 metres south of the existing power station. It is expected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 500 tonnes of each year, the equivalent of taking 200 cars off the road.

“The region is already leading the way in carbon emissions reduction with several new mines using solar and wind energy with battery storage to run up to 100 per cent of their power requirements on renewable sources,” Goldfields-Esperance Minister David Michael said in a statement.

“Domestic energy users are joining the transition as we convert more towns in the Goldfields to predominantly renewable sources, supported by battery storage.”

Energy supplies in the Kalgoorlie region have been problematic, even for those towns – like Kalgoorlie – that are connected to the state’s main grid. However, that single transmission line is prone to interruptions, from storms, dust, and lightning, and the local back up supplies, including diesel generators, have proved unreliable.

The state government is now selecting suppliers for a 50 MW, 500 MWh vanadium flow battery to act as back-up, which it hopes will translate into support for the local vanadium mining industry and a value-added market for its products.

“Living in the regions and reliance on energy supply can be challenging,” said Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent. “I’m so grateful that the Cook Labor Government recognises this and is always on the front foot to find solutions.”

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