Global equipment manufacturer Caterpillar delivered hybrid power solution technologies, including a 7.5 MW battery pack for a microgrid powering a gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Caterpillar microgrid master controller, bi-directional power inverters and remote asset monitoring technologies were integrated, along with Caterpillar lithium-ion battery energy storage system (ESS) modules, into 36 Caterpillar diesel generators and three hydroelectric plants into the power system at the Kibali Gold Mine in the DRC’s Haut Uele province.
The project was implemented by regional Caterpillar distributor Tractafric for customer Barrick Gold Corporation. Kibali was opened in 2013 and last year produced 808,000 ounces of gold. Caterpillar also supplies other equipment to the mine, including dump trucks and water delivery systems.
The new grid stabilization equipment reduces the need for rotating reserve on site, reducing annual diesel fuel consumption by about 3 million liters, as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
“The result is continuous and reliable power for the Kibali mine, generated at the lowest specific cost by maximizing renewable energy penetration. We are exploring options to improve this mix,” said Rousseau Juste, Barrick Gold’s chief engineer for Africa and the Middle East.
Juste added that the project required “an exceptional collaborative effort” between the equipment supplier, Tractafric, and the technical team at the mine, not least because the COVID-19 pandemic meant using “innovative remote technologies.” to bring the system online.
One of many smart battery-powered solutions at mines around the world
This is the latest in a series of global projects to use batteries and related advanced energy equipment to reduce fuel costs, fuel import logistics, grid power costs and carbon dioxide emissions at gold mines and other mining operations.
Energy-Storage.news recently covered the award of a contract with EDL, a power plant operator, for a solar energy and storage solution at Rio Tinto’s bauxite mine in Queensland , Australia. Also in Australia, the energy storage division of energy company Wärtsilä recently announced that its first battery project in the country would help reduce run times and improve the efficiency of dual-fuel engines at a gold mine in the north.
Elsewhere, photovoltaic inverter company Sungrow’s energy battery division will supply inverters and batteries for a gold mine in Egypt as part of the developer juwi’s “solar plus batteries” project. New projects have recently been announced at two nickel mines in Australia and an ilmenite mine in Madagascar .
These are some of the projects that are underway, while a large-scale solar energy system project with storage was successfully commissioned in April at the Fekola gold mine in Mali .
Mines are often in remote locations with limited or no grid connection, but often have high demands on power quality, making them excellent candidates for batteries and renewables.
“Renewable energy is playing an increasingly important role in mines and other remote off-grid applications,” said Caterpillar Large Electric Power Solutions general manager Bart Myers, adding that the Kibali project uses “the latest field-proven technology” in the power system. configuration with grid-stabilizing capability.
