JUWI says it has commissioned the world’s largest solar hybrid project at Centamin’s Sukari mine in Egypt, helping the gold miner save more than 20 million litres of diesel a year.

The system consists of a 36 MW solar farm and a 7.5 MW battery-energy storage system, which have been integrated into the existing diesel power station at the operation. This will provide savings of up to 70,000 liters of diesel per day, according to JUWI, resulting in an average reduction in diesel consumption of 22 million liters per year.

The system demonstrates the key role of renewable energies in decarbonising the resource sector and already delivers savings ahead of expectations, according to JUWI.

Centamin noted in October that it was in the final stages of commissioning the solar plant at the operation.

The solar system designed by JUWI has maximised the generation with bifacial solar photovoltaic modules and a single axis tracking system, taking advantage of the high irradiance on site. JUWI Hybrid IQ micro-grid technology enables the integration of the solar and battery system into the existing off-grid network and supports the operation of the existing power station, it says.

The additional benefits of the hybrid power solution at Sukari, according to JUWI, include lowering the site’s carbon emissions by an estimated 60,000 t CO2/y and a subsequent reduction in the volume of diesel trucked to the site, plus a reduction in operating costs

Stephan Hansen, COO and Managing Director of JUWI,said: “We are delighted to have been able to deliver this flagship project to Centamin and, furthermore, to have been able to demonstrate the vital role that dependable solar, wind and battery solutions can already play in the transformation of the resource sector on the de-carbonisation pathway.”

JUWI has already achieved success for mining clients globally with the world’s first utility scale solar battery hybrid project at the DeGrussa Copper mine in Australia. This was followed by Agnew Gold (Australia) in 2019 and another six hybrid projects in Australia and Africa for Tier 1 and Mid Tier miners: Esperance, Pan African Resources, Jacinth Ambrosia, Jabiru, Weipa and Gruyere.