Australian gold producer Gold Road Resources Limited (Gold Road) has selected Unlimited Energy Australia to realise a key step in minimising its environmental footprint and reducing operating costs by deploying a state-of-the-art renewable energy system with phase one of the project now completed.
The new system comprises a solar Photovoltaic (PV) array combined with a TESVOLT lithium energy storage hub. Driving this approach was the requirement to offset the use of existing onsite diesel generators, thereby reducing the associated carbon emissions, and the cost of diesel and related logistics, at the Yamarna exploration camp located approximately 1,200km east of Perth.
Sharon Goddard, General Manager- Social Performance & External Relations 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 solar solution.”
The modular Energy Hub design enabled fabrication to be completed offsite thereby minimising installation time, as well as the ability to relocate or repurpose the system if required.
Realising the environmental and cost benefits played a significant part in the adoption of this renewable energy solution. The recent global challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis further highlights the importance of energy independence. The risk to economies and businesses globally when logistics and supply chains are disrupted have become increasingly prominent. Reducing the frequency of diesel fuel transportation contributes to safeguarding Gold Road from these real risks.
In the early stages of the project Unlimited Energy Australia developed an Energy Optimisation Plan. By collecting substantial amounts of load and demand data from the site, decisions pertaining to the technology solution, system sizing and installation location were data driven.
CEO of Unlimited Energy Australia 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 team at Unlimited Energy Australia custom-designed the energy storage hub and solar PV array locally. The innovative design significantly expedited the installation process delivering a system that is reliable, re-deployable, modular, and scalable.
Understanding the harsh Western Australian conditions, the decision to use the resilient, award winning German manufactured TESVOLT lithium-based energy storage system was an easy one.
This completely off-grid self-sustaining energy solution will offset approximately 70% of the camp’s diesel consumption; delivering environmental and cost benefits to Gold Road’s exploration operation.
“We knew that there’s 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, longterm performance warranties and batteries that have been tried and tested in conditions common in such remote Australian locations” explains Mr Zombori.
The 187kW PV system with 408kWh of Tesvolt lithium ion energy storage system will be fully operational in Q4 2020.