Last month, the Bellevue Gold mine did something that was previously unthinkable. For over 155 consecutive hours – a full six-and-a-half day work week – the mine operated on 100% renewable energy. The future is now, kids: engines off!
Bellevue Gold’s 90 MW hybrid power station brought together a 27 MW solar panel array, 24 MW of wind turbines, and 15 MW (33 MWh) of battery energy storage to power the Australian mine’s operation. Originally designed to meet at least 80% of the site’s energy needs, the system recently proved that, in the right conditions, it can do much more.
“We’ve put out a strategy that’s ahead of the market that will have us producing net zero carbon gold by 2026 and we couldn’t do it without renewable energy as a core part,” Bellevue Gold’s managing director Darren Stralow said, in a statement. “(It’s) a significant milestone, not only for the project, but for what is possible in the Australian energy sector.”
Bellevue’s green gold
Image by Bellevue Gold, via The West Australian.
