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Australia pioneering off-grid renewables

|8 June 2016|

Australia

The world’s largest off-grid solar PV system has been installed in Australia providing power to a major mining operation.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is supporting the $40 million project which has 34,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels installed at the DeGrussa copper-gold mine alongside 6 MW (1.8 MWh) of new battery storage.

ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the successful commissioning marked a turning point for the use of renewable energy in off-grid industries.

“This is a clear example of renewables providing substantial, reliable results for one of Australia’s largest industries,” Ivor said.

“The project has achieved a series of firsts. It’s the largest off-grid solar PV system in the world and one of the largest solar plants providing peak power load to a mining operation.

“The project was constructed in 10 months and delivered on budget, despite being located in remote Australia.

“Cutting-edge technology is being demonstrated at the site, with advanced lithium-ion batteries storing solar power and sun-tracking solar PV panels maximising plant output. Smart control systems are linking these components with the existing diesel plant to maximise the amount of renewable energy delivered.

“Mine owner Sandfire Resources is benefitting from more predictable power costs and is anticipating potential cost savings through reduced reliance on trucked-in diesel.

“ARENA supports first-of-a-kind projects like this because they are crucial for increasing confidence amongst industry, project developers, investors and financers.

“The mining industry has been watching the progress at Degrussa. Sandfire has already fielded enquiries from other miners looking to take advantage of renewable energy and tap into Sandfire’s experience.

“We’re helping to share project lessons with the industry to speed up this process and further capitalise on ARENA’s funding support.”

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Written By

Iain is a creative writer, journalist and lecturer, and formerly an editor of two international business publications. Iain is now editor of Innovators Magazine, as well as the strategic content director for OnePoint5Media.

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