Gold Fields’s Granny Smith mine in Western Australia is set to significantly expand its renewable energy capacity, marking a major milestone in the site’s ongoing decarbonisation efforts.
Aggreko, the power solutions provider that has been partnering with Gold Fields since 2016, will spearhead the expansion of the mine’s solar farm and battery energy storage system (BESS).
The journey towards cleaner energy at Granny Smith began nearly eight years ago when Aggreko replaced the existing diesel power station with a high-speed, gas-fuelled reciprocating engine station.
In 2019, Aggreko further advanced the mine’s power system by installing a 7.7 MWp solar farm and a 2 MW/1 MWh BESS.
The latest expansion will significantly boost the mine’s renewable energy capacity:
- Total solar capacity will increase to 19 MW
- BESS capacity will grow to 9 MW/4.5 MWh
This expansion is expected to raise the renewable energy fraction to approximately 21 per cent, resulting in substantial environmental benefits:
- Annual gas savings of 443,304 GJ
- Reduction of 22,843 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year
Mark Glazebrook, General Manager of Granny Smith, welcomed the expansion, stating: “The expanded hybrid power station not only makes our operation more cost efficient and improves energy reliability, but it also demonstrates our commitment to accelerate renewable usage across all Gold Fields sites.”
Since its initial implementation in 2019, the solar farm and BESS at Granny Smith have produced approximately 48 GWh of clean energy, preventing 25 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Gold Fields is not stopping here, with the company planning to conduct a pre-feasibility study to explore the possibility of generating 75 per cent of Granny Smith’s energy requirements from renewable sources.
This ambitious plan could include increased solar capacity, a larger battery, and the addition of a wind farm later in the decade.
As the mining industry continues to prioritise sustainability, the Granny Smith mine serves as a shining example of how renewable energy can be effectively integrated into large-scale mining operations, reducing both costs and environmental impact.