Aggreko Installs Massive Renewable Microgrid at Australian Gold Mine
Aggreko, a world-leading provider of energy services, has partnered with global gold miner Gold Fields to complete the installation of one of the world’s largest renewable energy microgrids for the Granny Smith gold mine in Western Australia.
The new hybrid power system, which has been integrated with Aggreko’s existing gas-fired power station, is powered by more than 20,000 solar panels and supported by a 2 MW/1 MWh battery system. Once fully operational, it will reduce the mine’s fuel consumption by 10 to 13 percent - the equivalent of removing 2,000 cars from the road.
In total, the solar, thermal and battery storage assets will produce around 18 GWh of energy every year, with carbon emissions at the mine expected to be reduced by approximately 9,500 tCO2e.
Gold Fields executive vice president Australasia, Stuart Mathews, said: “Here in Australia and globally our company is committed to addressing climate change impacts by transitioning towards an energy mix that increasingly embraces renewables and lower carbon fuel sources. The Granny Smith microgrid and the renewable energy solution at our Agnew mine are a clear demonstration of the innovative steps we are taking to ensure the ongoing sustainability of our operations.”
“Demand for decentralised energy solutions has skyrocketed over the past few years as companies look past the grid for power solutions to help them meet their unique needs,” said George Whyte, Aggreko’s AusPac managing director. “The hybrid assets we’ve delivered for the Granny Smith mine will help Gold Fields reduce operating costs and carbon emissions with the flexibility and capital expenditure savings that comes with rental solutions.
“We’re pleased to have completed the installation of one of the world’s largest microgrids and look forward to continuing to partner with Gold Fields to deliver greener, cheaper and more efficient power for the Granny Smith mine in the years to come.”
The solar PV will reduce the need to run thermal generators at the mine, while the battery plant will provide essential services such as PV ramp rate control and transient voltage/frequency support. The assets are being managed by Aggreko’s control software platform which rapidly deploys automated responses to avoid issues and predicts future problems.
The solar and battery power facility is fully integrated with Aggreko’s existing 27 MW natural gas generation and complements Gold Fields’ suite of on-site energy solutions across other operations.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.