Zenith reaches agreement for gold mine renewables

Remote power specialist Zenith Energy has signed on to deliver a hybrid renewable energy system – including 138 MW of solar and a 300 MWh battery – to help power Northern Star Resources’ gold mining operations near Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia.

December 3, 2025 David Carroll

Image: Zenith Energy

Zenith Energy has inked a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) that will deliver a hybrid renewable energy hub to supply energy to Northern Star’s Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines operations in Western Australia’s Goldfields region

The proposed facility, to be located about 10 kilometres northeast of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is to combine 138 MW of solar generation, 256 MW wind generation, and a 138 MW / 300 MWh battery storage system.

Perth-headquartered Zenith will fund, build, own, and operate the power facilities, as part of the long-term PPA.

In addition to the agreement for renewable energy, Zenith has entered a joint venture with Northern Star to supply 120 MW of thermal generation along with a 132 kV transmission network and substations. Zenith will also build and operate the new thermal power station and transmission infrastructure under a 25-year deal.

Zenith Managing Director Hamish Moffat said the agreement with Northern Stare exemplifies the large-scale energy transition taking place in the Goldfields, a region key to Australia’s critical and precious metals industry.

“This renewable energy solution provides Northern Star with cost-effective power while having the future potential to improve energy reliability for Kalgoorlie,” he said, adding that the development “provides a blueprint for what modern mining energy systems should look like; cost-effective, clean, scalable, reliable and delivery of real benefits to local and regional communities.”

Australian modular solar specialist 5B has been selected to supply much of the infrastructure for the 138 MW solar farm. More than 230,000 solar panels will be used, deployed on the company’s pre-assembled and relocatable Maverick platform.

Chinese turbine manufacturing giant Goldwind will supply the turbines for the wind farm, while Finland’s Wartsila will supply the dual-fuel generators along with associated auxiliary equipment and control systems for the thermal component of the project.

Wartsila said its technology will include a synchronous condenser feature, meaning that in the future it could also provide important system strength service for the Eastern Goldfields section of the South West Interconnect System (SWIS) to prevent blackouts.

Adelaide-based RJE Global has been tapped to supply key components of the 132 kV transmission system, including power transformers, as well as engineering, design and construction services.

Zenith said key design, engineering and procurement activities are already underway for the project with commissioning expected to begin in mid-2027, subject to environmental and regulatory approvals.

Northern Star forecasts that once the facility is fully operational, renewable energy will account for more than 70% of the electricity demand at its Kalgoorlie operations, which includes one of Australia’s largest open pit gold mines.

The project is the latest renewables install for Northern Star which has already installed a 2.5 MW solar farm at its Carosue Dam Gold Mine site, and last year installed 16.9 MW of solar, 24 MW of wind, and 12 MW / 13.4 MWh of battery energy storage at its Jundee mining operations in the northern Goldfields region.

The projects are part of the miner’s aim to lower its reliance on thermal energy and reduce its scope 1 and scope 2 carbon emissions by 35% by 2030.

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