Soluna Australia Pty Ltd, a 50-50 partnership between Lithium Australia NL and DLG Energy Co Ltd (China) has signed a letter of intent with Northern Minerals Ltd to develop a renewable-power and battery-storage facility at NTU’s Browns Range rare earth operation, situated around 1,900 km northeast of Perth in the east Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Browns Range is typical of many remote mining operations in that both the accommodation camp and processing plant there are reliant on diesel for power generation. Together, Soluna and NTU plan to reduce the carbon footprint ofthe entire facility, initially by lowering the operating and maintenance costs associated with diesel power generation at the accommodation camp. Soluna will provide the necessary expertise, as well as the photovoltaic power generator and energy-storage system (ESS) in the form of lithium-ion battery (LIB) packs designed specifically for that application.
The deal will allow Soluna to evaluatethe reduction in diesel consumption at the accommodation camp through the use of renewable energy and the concomitant lessening of carbon dioxide emissions and thus impact on the environment; lowering of operating costs associated with having a camp power supply not reliant on expensive diesel generation, and implementation of a power purchase agreement that allows Soluna to install the solar generator and ESS at Browns Range without any capital cost to NTU. While initially Soluna’s analysis will focus on energy use within the accommodation camp, the goal longer term is to reduce the use of fossil fuels across the entire operation.
The next shipment of Soluna’s suite of modular, rack-mounted ESS products is due to arrive in Australia during September 2020 and will provide the LIB power storage solution required for NTU’s Browns Range project. Soluna’s use of LFP batteries in their ESS appealed to NTU, given the high safety standards, ability to perform well in hot environments, longevity and low maintenance requirements of this type of LIB. Indeed, LFP is the LIB chemistry of choice for operating ESS in the harsh conditions experienced at many remote mine sites.
Soluna will offer no-cost installation of its ESS products in combination with a power-purchase agreement, thereby providing residential and business consumers with a low-capital entry point for both domestic and industrial applications. It is anticipated that Soluna sales will commence in June 2020, supported by further product imports in September. Interest in Soluna’s ESS range is high, as a consequence not only of product quality and lack of initial outlay but also the advantages of built-in financial tracking; the package includes predetermined budgets and targets, allowing consumers to monitor the performance of their system by way of a web-based portal.
Lithium Australia MD Adrian Griffin comments: “Lithium Australia is aware of the growing demand for off-grid and fringe-of-grid hybrid energy systems. Renewable energy won’t work without reliable storage and Soluna offers economical and sustainable solutions. We look forward to Browns Range becoming a successful renewable-energy case study. Current levels of interest are a good indicator that Soluna will grow significantly as Australia heads to a greener future.”