{"id":47885,"date":"2021-02-24T05:29:50","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T18:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=47885"},"modified":"2021-02-24T05:29:50","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T18:59:50","slug":"solar-hybrid-minining-mb1891","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-hybrid-minining-mb1891\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Miner Turns To Solar Power"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Solar<\/p>\n

Abra Mining Pty Limited has executed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Contract Power Group for a hybrid electricity generation system including solar panels and battery storage for a project in WA.<\/p>\n

The Abra Base Metals Project<\/a>, 77.28% owned by Galena Mining Ltd, is a lead-silver venture located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia between the towns of Newman and Meekatharra – and is a long way from poles and wires.<\/p>\n

Galena Mining said last week that under the terms of the PPA that runs for 16 years1<\/a><\/sup>, Contract Power will build, own and operate a facility made up of a 10MW gas fired generator, a 6MW solar farm, 2MW of battery energy storage and an LNG storage and regasification facility.<\/p>\n

“Integrating solar with relatively clean natural gas instead of diesel achieves a marked reduction in Abra\u2019s carbon footprint compared to alternatives considered in the tender process,” said<\/a>\u00a0 Galena Managing Director, Alex Molyneux.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This solution was also found to be the most cost-effective.<\/p>\n

The Abra Base Metals Project site is situated approximately 110 kilometres from Sandfire\u2019s DeGrussa Project, which has been utilising renewables since 2016. DeGrussa’s system consists of a 10.6 MW (AC) solar power plant with storage offsetting up to 20% of total diesel consumption annually. As far as I’m aware, this is still Australia’s largest PV system operating at a mining site.<\/p>\n

DeGrussa pretty much led the way and many other miners have followed – or are contemplating renewables.<\/p>\n

Contract Power’s Renewables Street Cred<\/h2>\n

As for Contract Power Group<\/a>, while many of its energy projects have been solely fossil-fuel focused, it has built up significant experience with integrating renewable energy systems out the back of beyond, particularly in Western Australia.<\/p>\n

Completed renewables-related projects include a 1MW \/ 1MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and 1.25MVA Transformer at the Onslow Zone Substation, which was part of Stage 2 of the Onslow Microgrid Project<\/a>. Prior to that, Contract Power Group partnered with its subsidiary, Hybrid Systems Australia, on the Meekatharra Solar Power Station, which was constructed in 2017 and has a total installed capacity 454.68 kW.<\/p>\n

More recently, the company scored a contract for the Esperance Power Project<\/a>. Under a 20 year PPA, which will supply electricity to Horizon Power customers from January next year, Contract Power is responsible for the design, procurement, construction and operation of:<\/p>\n