Pacific Energy has successfully launched Australia’s largest off-grid hybrid power system at the Tropicana gold mine in Western Australia. The project, completed under a 10-year build-own-operate agreement, integrates 61 MW of renewable energy into an existing 54 MW gas-fired power station, bringing the total capacity to 115 MW.

The expanded system includes four 6 MW wind turbines, a 24 MW solar farm, and a 13 MW battery energy storage system (BESS). This cutting-edge technology, supported by intelligent control solutions and virtual synchronous machine technologies, stabilizes the hybrid system while reducing reliance on traditional thermal-powered reserves. The facility enables the mine to run on 100% renewable energy for extended periods, significantly reducing diesel and gas consumption by 96% and 50%, respectively.

The new system is expected to cut carbon emissions by 65,000 tons annually, supporting AngloGold Ashanti’s goal of reducing global net carbon emissions by 30% by 2030. Jamie Cullen, CEO of Pacific Energy, emphasized the system's real-world impact, including the displacement of 1,100 TJ of gas each year and a reduction in emissions equivalent to removing 14,000 cars from the road.

Despite challenges, including severe flooding during construction, the project was delivered on time, within budget, and without any safety incidents. This significant achievement marks a step forward in AngloGold Ashanti’s strategy to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Source: im-mining.com