Global mining company AngloGold Ashanti’s plans to build one of the largest renewable projects in Australia’s natural resource sector will become one of the biggest renewable project in the country.
Meanwhile, the company’s subsidiary, AngloGold Ashanti Australia Ltd., has agreed with power developer Pacific Energy to construct and operate 62 MW of wind and solar generation capacity at the Tropicana gold mine site.
Electricity generated will be fed into the power supply for the mine site, which lies 330km east-north-east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU) reported that the company has entered into an agreement with Pacific Energy to construct and operate 62MW of wind and solar generation capacity in Western Australia and to integrate it into the power supply for the Tropicana gold mine.
Tropicana, a large open-pit operation with a growing underground mining component, produced 437,000 oz (100%) in 2022. The mine, which produced its four-millionth ounce in 2022, is 70% owned and managed by AngloGold Ashanti, while Regis Resources holds the remaining 30%.
Integration of Tropicana Renewable Energy Solution
The Tropicana renewable energy solution will be integrated into the existing 54MW gas-fired power station at the mine, under a 10-year build-own-operate agreement, with transfer of ownership to AGA at the end of the contract.
This new infrastructure will comprise four 6MW wind turbines, each with a hub height of 130m and rotor diameter of 165m, equal to the largest wind turbines in Australia. Approximately 44,100 panels with single access tracking will make up the 24MW PV solar plant.
The company said that the Tropicana’s hybrid wind and solar with battery storage facility will be the first of its kind to be implemented by the company and will reduce the average carbon emissions by more than 65,000 tonnes per annum over the 10-year life of the agreement, making a significant contribution towards AngloGold Ashanti’s climate commitments.
“The initiative announced today at Tropicana follows a project started last year at the company’s Geita gold mine in Tanzania, which will replace diesel generation at the site with grid power sourced with a more environmentally friendly combination of energies including hydropower and natural gas,” the company said in a statement.
AngloGold Ashanti last year announced a plan to cut Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 through a combination of renewable energy projects and initiatives which improve efficiency or use lower-emission power sources.
AngloGold Ashanti, with its head office in South Africa, is an independent, global gold mining company with a diverse portfolio of operations, projects and exploration activities across nine countries on four continents. The company is one of the largest gold producers globally and the largest on the African continent.
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