Scotland-headquartered energy solutions company Aggreko has finalised a “landmark” power purchase agreement (PPA) with South African mining company Harmony Gold for the Eva copper project being developed in northwest Queensland.
Aggreko said the minimum 15-year PPA paves the way for the development of “Australia’s largest off-grid renewable hybrid power facility and one of the most advanced in the country” to support the construction and operation of the $2.4 billion (USD 1.67 billion) open-pit copper mine being developed by Harmony, about 75 kilometres northeast of Cloncurry.
The new power plant will combine a 118 MWp solar farm and a 250 MWh battery energy storage system, backed by a 104 MVA thermal power facility. Aggreko will build, own and operate the asset that it said will be optimised for the use of renewables, providing Harmony with “a resilient and future-focused energy platform.”
“This combination will allow for high renewable contribution, reduced fuel consumption, and improved emissions performance across the mine’s lifecycle,” the company said in a statement, adding that it is working with Harmony to increase the share of renewable energy generation, including potential wind integration and future connection to the grid.
Aggreko said this will ensure the power solution remains flexible and evolves with the mine’s long-term requirements.
George Whyte, Aggreko’s APAC Managing Director, said the Eva project is a milestone for both the company and the Australian mining sector.
“The scale of this renewable hybrid power station and the level of integration between solar, battery storage and thermal generation set a new benchmark for off-grid energy,” he said. “Our long-term agreement reflects Aggreko’s commitment to partnering with industry to deliver innovative, lower emission energy solutions that are both commercially and operationally robust.”
The Eva project exemplifies a shift in Australia’s resources sector with miners increasingly turning to renewable energy sources as they seek to improve their economics and energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint.
Among those to make the move is Liontown Resources which has teamed with Australian remote power generation specialist Zenith Energy to roll out a 95 MW hybrid facility to help power its Kathleen Valley lithium mine in Western Australia.
the Kathleen Valley facility combines 17 MW of solar, 30 MW of wind, and a 17 MW / 20 MWh battery energy storage system. Additionally, the system includes 27 MW of gas generation and 5 MW of diesel-fuelled generation.
While recognised as the largest operating off-grid renewable energy hybrid power station in Australia, the facility is set to be eclipsed by an almost 530 MW power plant that will help power Northern Star Resources’ gold mining operations near Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia.
To be delivered by Zenith, the proposed facility is to combine 138 MW of solar generation, 256 MW wind generation, and a 138 MW / 300 MWh battery storage system with 120 MW of thermal generation.
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