Australian mining’s growing attraction for islanded renewable power solutions

Improving technology and reduced costs is making it more viable for mining operations to incorporate renewable power generation into their overall energy mix.

Off grid, or islanded power solutions are becoming increasingly attractive as the cost of upgrading and replacing transmission networks surge.

EDL is an Independent Power Producer (IPP), and works with customers to develop a solution that best suits their unique circumstances. We then own and operate the facility to generate and supply power to the customer’s operation.

The latest issue of Mining Technology magazine Going off-grid: the state of on-site power at Australian mines – Mining Technology (mining-technology.com) examines how the Australian mining sector is reflecting an industry-wide trend towards more off-grid, renewable energy supply to power operations.

Geoff Hobley, General Manager for Remote Energy, explains how EDL’s hybrid renewable energy microgrid will provide 55-60% of power from renewable energy over the long term at GoldFields’ Agnew gold mine in Western Australia.

Introducing power from EDL’s renewable energy microgrid in 2020 has contributed to reduced operational costs and a smaller overall carbon footprint for Agnew mine. It has also provided flexibility, enabling a balanced mix of energy sources based on changing demands and availability – between wind and solar, depending on the weather conditions.

“EDL has been developing power projects for over 35 years, helping customers on their journey to decarbonise.  It is our view that there is no one single solution to get to net zero – it is going to require an integrated, multi-pronged approach,’’ Geoff said.

“Mining companies are generally seeking the most economic supply of power for their projects. The many factors that influence the economics of power supply mean that this will likely be a different solution for each project.”

“EDL is the leading supplier of high penetration renewable hybrid power stations, meaning that the percentage of total energy delivered by renewable sources (such as wind and solar) is high (over 75%), as opposed to from fossil fuel energy sources.”

“We see this trend increasing as the cost of solar panels and battery technologies comes down and are actively working on a roadmap to 100% renewable energy supply.”

Learn more about EDL’s renewable and hybrid energy projects: Renewables & Hybrids: Solar, Wind, Battery Energy Storage Systems, Microgrids | EDL (edlenergy.com)