Redavia, Tanzania’s largest ground-mount solar company, has announced that it has been awarded the contract to expand the solar capacity at the New Luika gold mine by Shanta Mining Company Ltd. The expansion project is the second phase of a two-phased process to increase New Luika’s solar hybridisation use. Increased solar energy use at the plant will provide a low-cost, flexibly-contracted solar power service, which reduces fuel cost and offers the off grid mine a reliable, renewable energy solution.
“We are pleased to continue working with Shanta Mining, collaborating on a project that not only reduces their operational costs, but their carbon footprint as well”, said Erwin Spolders, CEO of Redavia. “The first phase of the Shanta project started two years ago and has delivered according to the original projections”, explains Spolders. “Our focus has always been and continues to be, to deliver cost-effective, reliable, and clean solar energy to our clients and we are happy that Shanta is reaping the benefits of employing solar-hybridisation technology at their plant in Tanzania”, added Spolders.
Solar hybridisation for off-grid mines is becoming more and more prevalent because of the increased awareness and understanding of its benefits which include:
- A more reliable and sustainable energy source
- A reduction in operational costs, fuel consumption and fuel logistics
- A reduction in CO2 emissions which reduces negative environmental impact
“Redavia was awarded the New Luika gold mine expansion contract for three key reasons”, explains Toby Bradbury, CEO of Shanta. “Firstly, the company’s technical offer was sound. The Shanta engineers could clearly appreciate the technical benefit of working with Redavia’s redeployable solar farms. Secondly, the experienced team of professionals at Redavia displayed a profound understanding of what we wanted and the challenges we face as an off grid mine. They were able to answer all the questions that we had as well as systematically laying out what the process of expansion would be”, added Bradbury. “Lastly, the commercial offer was competitive and it made clear financial sense to award them the contract. We look forward to our continued work with the Redavia team”, concluded Bradbury.
The new 609 kW plant will produce around 943,950 kWh per year and this is in addition to the 63 kW that was installed as a pilot plant in 2014. The current 63 kW plant produces around 95,750 kWh per year, but once the new plant is up and running, it will produce an estimated 1,040,000 kWh per year. Below are more technical specs about the capacity of the plant:
- Each year the plant will supply on average more than 1,500 kWh’s per kWp.
- The current estimated fuel saving at the plant is 28,000 litres of fuel per year, which will increase to around 250,000 litres in Phase 2.
- Phase 2 CO2 savings are estimated at 350 t per year.
Work on the expansion project has already begun and will continue into 2017.