Last month, the Bellevue Gold mine did something that was previously unthinkable. For over 155 consecutive hours – a full six-and-a-half day work week – the mine operated on 100% renewable energy. The future is now, kids: engines off!
Bellevue Gold’s 90 MW hybrid power station brought together a 27 MW solar panel array, 24 MW of wind turbines, and 15 MW (33 MWh) of battery energy storage to power the Australian mine’s operation. Originally designed to meet at least 80% of the site’s energy needs, the system recently proved that, in the right conditions, it can do much more.
“We’ve put out a strategy that’s ahead of the market that will have us producing net zero carbon gold by 2026 and we couldn’t do it without renewable energy as a core part,” Bellevue Gold’s managing director Darren Stralow said, in a statement. “(It’s) a significant milestone, not only for the project, but for what is possible in the Australian energy sector.”
Bellevue’s green gold
Bellevue first announced its plans to become the first operational gold mine to get 80% of its power generated by renewable energy back in 2022, after signing up for the $252 million off-grid hybrid power with its partners, Zenith Energy.
“(The project) achieves the holy grail of lower emissions and a direct cost reduction in power generation,” explains Bellevue’s Steve Parsons. “The combination of these metrics is expected to will position Bellevue as one of the most sustainable and financially successful Australian gold miners, maximizing returns for all stakeholders.
The development of the sustainable mining project also advances the Tjiwarl Katu Power joint venture between Zenith Energy and Tjiwarl Contracting Services, which represents the Tjiwarl Aboriginal Corporation – the Traditional owners of the land where the Bellevue Gold project is located.
Electrek’s Take
A while back, we devoted an entire episode to the idea that the cleaner the mining industry tries to become, the more equipment it needs — and that equipment, in turn, drives even greater demand for the very mines supplying its raw materials. Battery-electric haul trucks are a clear example of that self-propagating feedback loop.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Zenith Energy.
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