Gold Road Resources’ Renewable Energy Hub at its Yamarna exploration camp in Western Australia, designed and delivered by Unlimited Energy Australia, is now operating on renewable energy.
The hub was officially opened by WA Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Bill Johnston, at the end of last year.
The 187 kW system is comprised of a surface-mounted photovoltaic (PV) solar array including up to 580 solar panels with 60 cells each, combined with a 408 kWh TESVOLT lithium-ion energy storage system.
Unlimited Energy said the drive for this custom-designed system was the requirement to offset the use of existing on-site diesel generators, thereby reducing the associated carbon emissions, as well as the cost of diesel and related logistics and maintenance costs.
In this regard, the hub can reduce diesel runtime from 24 hours to 2.4 hours, producing in excess of 1 MWh of renewable energy every day, according to Unlimited Energy.
Sharon Goddard, General Manager – Social Performance & External Relations Gold Road Resources, said: “The minimum impact on the environment, modular design, ability to relocate, economic viability and extendibility of the system are the main benefits that led Gold Road to install Unlimited Energy Australia’s renewable energy solution.”
The modular energy hub design enabled fabrication to be completed off-site, thereby minimising installation time on the remote site, as well as the ability to relocate or repurpose the system to meet a variety of potential future exploration needs if required, according to Unlimited Energy.
In the early stages of the project, Unlimited Energy developed an Energy Optimisation Plan. Decisions pertaining to the technology solution, system sizing and installation were derived from the substantial amounts of load and demand data collected from the site.
Unlimited Energy Australia’s CEO, George Zombori, said: “We design energy solutions that meet the specific needs of our clients and make good economic sense. Tracking a client’s usage patterns is critical in designing a solution which drives energy and cost saving strategies.”
The company added: “The innovative design significantly expedited the installation process delivering a system that is reliable, re-deployable, modular and scalable.”
Torsten Ketelsen, Managing Director Unlimited Energy Australia, said: “We know that there is a perception that battery storage technology is an emerging technology, so eliminating the risk was of utmost importance to us. Our TESVOLT technology selection ensures one of the safest battery cells on the market, long-term performance warranties and batteries that have been tried and tested in conditions common in such remote Australian locations.
“Our successful deployment of this system will certainly provide confidence to the resources sector that these technologies are now readily available, technically advanced and economically viable to serve their energy needs.”