AngloGold Ashanti announced the completion of the Tropicana energy project, a large-scale, hybrid renewable operation at its Tropicana gold mine in Western Australia.
Tropicana, located in a remote area of Western Australia, east of Perth, is powered by a mix of renewable energy and natural gas.
In partnership with Regis Resources, which holds a 30% stake in the mine, AngloGold Ashanti has integrated solar panels, wind turbines and battery storage into its existing gas power system at the mine.
The components include a 42,120-panel solar farm, four 6MW wind turbines, and a 13MW battery storage system. This hybrid power system has a total capacity of 115MW, “enough to power 40,000-50,000 average Australian homes annually”, the company said in a statement on Monday.
The integration of renewable energy is expected to reduce diesel consumption by 96% and gas by 50%. This reduction in fossil fuel usage is expected to decrease carbon emissions by more than 65,000 tonnes per year on average over the next decade.
AngloGold Ashanti aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The company is also exploring opportunities to integrate renewable energy into its other global operations.
“This project will enable a significant reduction in emissions while reducing both diesel and natural gas consumption and improving our overall security of energy supply,” said AngloGold Ashanti CEO Alberto Calderon. “It’s especially impressive that this large project, in a remote location, was completed safely, on time and on budget, despite the major disruption caused by last year’s flooding.”
This development follows the company’s recent project to connect its Geita mine in Tanzania to the national electricity grid, which is largely powered by renewable energy sources, including hydro-electric power.
Tropicana is one of Australia’s top five gold mines, which transitioned from open-pit mining to a combination of open-pit and underground operations in recent years. It produced its 4-millionth ounce of gold in late 2022.
Construction work on the renewable infrastructure began last year under a 10-year build-own-operate agreement with Pacific Energy — an Australian company specialising in hybrid power systems and renewable energy integration.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.