Increasingly, the resources sector is looking to renewable energy options when planning their next projects. Advancements in the application of PV technology, improving efficiency in energy storage systems and the ability to hybridize these systems to mitigate operational risks has opened the door to energy independence and carbon emission reduction. Recent industry examples demonstrate the proven economic, operational and environmental value in using renewable energy infrastructure.

Sustainability of ongoing mineral extraction operations has always been a high priority when planning and developing infrastructure and operations within this sector. Historically, however, energy has been provided by diesel/gas generators in off-grid/remote locations with renewables relegated to niche or non-operational areas.

Driving operational dependability

Ask any miner, and they would have said that potential interruptions to supply of energy is a risk only worth introducing to a supporting workshop, warehouse or storage facility for example.

That has been the perception around renewables as a baseload generator for the resource sector.

That is; until now.

Advancements in the application of PV technology, improving efficiency in energy storage systems and the ability to hybridize these systems for optimum efficiency and performance has lead the way to energy independence in the sector. Contributing to this is the inevitability of the increase of energy intensity in metals and mineral extraction.

The energy demand for the extraction of metals and minerals is expected to increase progressively as resource grades decrease over time¹. Resources companies can therefore expect the cost of their fuel infrastructure and operational costs to increase in correlation.

Renewed impetus for renewable energy technology

Resource sector executives and shareholders are showing an increasing appetite to augment their operational infrastructure with renewable generation. They are all too aware that robust business cases for these applications reach far beyond financial returns in isolation. Community engagement and acceptance, societal tolerance and compatibility with public expectations are all important aspects companies need to address to maintain a social and environmental license to continue operations with good conscience.

Where to start?

Exploration camp infrastructure provides companies with a valuable gateway to testing the efficacy of renewable technology.

Redeploy ability of ground mounted PV arrays and high efficiency battery storage energy hubs now provide excellent value proposition to industry, particularly in temporary applications like exploration camps, remote mobile stations and dewatering pumps to name a few. These systems easily relocate to new sites when required and provide benefits over their full service life with very little maintenance required. Remote renewable energy hubs can be operated and monitored online in real time.

Gold Road Resources Limited (Gold Road), has done just that. Unlimited Energy Australia Pty Ltd designed, fabricated, and installed a scalable, modular, and movable PV and energy storage micro-grid for Gold Road's Yamarna exploration camp located 200km east of Laverton, Western Australia, a remote desert location 1200kms from Perth. Depending on the season of the year, the system offsets 75 - 100% of the camps diesel consumption, drastically reduces carbon emissions and provides significant operational cost savings associated with decreased fuel consumption, transport and generator maintenance costs. Importantly the renewable energy solution provides Gold Road with energy independence; the Unlimited Energy Australia hub limits the risks of future fuel price volatility and supply chain disruptions for fuel and parts, highlighted during the current COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in people and goods movements.

Sharon Goddard, Gold Road's General Manager - Social Performance & External Relations explains, "the minimum impact on the environment, modular design, ability to relocate, economic viability and extendibility of the system are the main benefits that led Gold Road to install the Unlimited Energy Australia's renewable energy solution."

Miners are mindful of the risks of investing in significant infrastructure during the early cycles of mine development and the need for flexibility particularly during the exploration stages.

With its proprietary designed system, the team at Unlimited Energy Australia addressed this requirement. They installed a PV array that is surface mounted utilising a unique ballast tray (filled with local stone aggregate) that requires no drilling or concreting even on rocky ground, enabling rapid demobilization or relocation when needed. The WA designed PV mounting system meets the Australian Standards and reduces the actual footprint of the solar array. Additionally, it allows significant savings in transport and installation costs compared to conventional pole mounted solar installations.

Providing Gold Road with a detailed energy analysis and optimization plan for the Yamarna Camp was the first step to understanding their energy needs and ensuring confidence that the solution met their requirements and made good economic sense.

The harsh remote conditions of the camp drove the design and technical specifications of the system.

The award winning Tesvolt lithium energy storage system was specifically selected as being the most appropriate technology solution on the market able to withstand the harsh temperatures and significant surges in demand this project presented.

The renewable energy hub, commissioned by Unlimited Energy Australia in December 2020, has realised Gold Road's goal to reduce diesel runtime from 24 hours to approximately 2 hours producing in excess of 1 megawatt hours of renewable energy every day.

The project demonstrates the viability, economically and operationally, of renewable energy for off-grid mining projects.

Excellence in renewable technology for your project

Unlimited Energy Australia is a committed partner of the resources sector and a leader in the design, development and deployment of renewable technology solutions to support critical infrastructure in the industry. The team work with a broad range of resource sector proponents to deliver operational benefits throughout their life of mine when it comes to energy infrastructure.

Their deep understanding of renewable energy systems, load management, technology optimisation and project delivery ensures that your project outcomes will exceed expectations and meet all your operational, economic, and environmental objectives.

¹ White Paper: Renewable Energy in the Australian Mining Sector, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

Unlimited Energy Australia
Phone: 1300 765 007
Email: info@unlimited-energy.com.au
Website: www.unlimited-energy.com.au