The installation of a solar-battery system at Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) Wonmunna iron ore project in Western Australia, is set to produce more than 30 per cent of the mine’s power requirements and help the company slash diesel consumption.
The 2.1MW solar battery system helps mark an important milestone for the company and is a significant step in its energy strategy
Located in the Pilbara Region, the Wonmunna mine was purchased in FY21 as an underdeveloped project. The first ore from the mine was extracted five months after construction began at the site, and during FY22 production scaled up to 5 million tonnes per annum.
Installation of the 5B Maverick solar technology was completed at the site in FY23, including more than 4,000 solar panels. Following successful testing and optimisation works, the technology is now helping to provide significant benefits for site operations, including a reduction on diesel fuel dependency.
The combined solar-battery system is set to cut diesel consumption by approximately 760,000L per year, as well as aiming to reduce the site’s carbon emissions by around 2,000t of carbon dioxide per year.
Additionally, the crusher at the site is powered 100 per cent by the system during the middle of the day when the renewable output meets peak plant load.
MinRes said that the combined battery system can achieve more than 40 per cent of displacement on any given day, especially in the warmer months of the year and with a 20-year life span, the battery system can be relocated to another operation when the Wonmunna mine reaches the end of its life.
MinRes’ Chief Executive Energy, Darren Hardy, said the Wonmunna solar and battery array was a positive step forward in the company’s renewable energy strategy.
“MinRes is committed to pursuing renewable energy opportunities where we can and our team has been working hard to deliver a solar array and battery solution that delivers optimum output at Wonmunna,” Mr Hardy said.
“Together with natural gas, renewables will play an important role in our energy future, and MinRes continues to pursue off-grid solar power and energy storage solutions to support our remote locations.”
Featured Image: Wonmunna solar array in Western Australia. Image courtesy of Mineral Resources.
