Gold Fields has reached a significant milestone in its $296 million St Ives Renewable Energy project by pouring the foundations for its seven wind turbines at the site located 80km south of Kalgoorlie.
Each concrete foundation contains 800 cubic metres of concrete, produced and poured by Western Australian contractor Westforce, in preparation for the arrival of turbine components expected by September 2025.
The project also marks considerable progress on the solar farm component, with more than 50 per cent of the solar panel frames constructed and the first of 66,000 solar panels already delivered ahead of installation scheduled to begin this month.
The St Ives Renewable Energy project comprises a 42MW wind farm and a 35MW solar farm spanning 2.5 square kilometres, with the solar segment being developed in partnership with Pacific Energy.
Construction on both the wind and solar farms remains on time and within budget, targeting completion in 2026.
When operational, this hybrid renewable energy system will supply over 70 per cent of the energy needs of Gold Fields’ St Ives mine, becoming Western Australia’s largest renewable energy initiative at an existing mine site.
Gold Fields Principal Specialist and Project Director Simon Schmid described the foundation milestones as pivotal
“The recent milestones achieved at the St Ives Renewable Energy project has further solidified the reality of what Gold Fields is achieving with our industry partners,” he said.
“When it’s up and running, the St Ives Renewable Energy project will be a visible representation of our commitment to making Gold Fields’ operations more sustainable.
“We believe this project is industry-leading when it comes to renewable energy use in the mining sector, and we are thrilled to see the progress that has been made as we track towards this goal.”
This project is also integral to Gold Fields’ global decarbonisation strategy, aiming to reduce the St Ives mine’s carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 relative to its 2016 baseline.
The company is expanding decarbonisation efforts across its 10 global sites, targeting a 30 per cent net emissions reduction by 2030 from the same baseline year.
The St Ives Renewable Energy project exemplifies the mining industry’s shift toward sustainable energy solutions, demonstrating both environmental commitment and operational efficiency by leveraging large-scale wind and solar power integration at remote mining operations.
