Solar power for mines

127 MWp Viborillas, Mexico Cover photo: 44 MWp Budel, The Netherlands

The time is nowThe world has changed; solar and battery technology is now the most reliable and cost-effective power solution for remote mines. No longer does solar offer just small scale contributions to the power demands of major power users, now the advantages are economic, operational, social AND environmental.

We have reached an economic tipping point where solar power can provide nearly all of your power needs. Previously, “solar fuel saver” solutions used solar to reduce fuel consumption by 25-30%. Now, solar plus energy storage can provide stable power night and day, generating over 80% of a mine’s annual energy demand, making substantial savings in energy expenditure and savings in energy costs of 50% or more.

Solarcentury has the specialist skills, the partners, networks, and industry knowledge to help you make this transition in the way your mine is run, saving you millions of dollars over the next decade.

First class partner Our peopleGlobal and growing, the Solarcentury team is world class. Over 200 staff are led by a committed and ambitious management team, many boasting over a decade of experience in the solar industry.

Daniel Davies,General Manager Africa

The expertise that enables us to develop, design, procure, build, commission and warrant mega-scale utility projects across the globe, also allows us to deliver OPEX-saving projects into the mining sector.

Jason de Carteret,Development Director, Africa

Intermittency, so long the drawback of renewable power generation, is no longer a problem; significant developments with energy storage technology – driven largely by the electric vehicle market – now make renewables plus energy storage. the power solution of the future.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines in Eritrea – in a project funded by EuropeAid and UNDP – can testify to our expertise integrating solar, storage and diesel to create 24/7 off-grid power whilst reducing their costs by 50%.

Tom Forsyth,Development Director, South Africa

• Developed 127 MWp solar farm in Viborillas, Mexico.

• Developed Talayuela – one of the largest solar farms in Europe at 300 MWp. A further 200 MWp is currently under construction in Spain.

• 44 MWp solar farm developed and built to power Netherlands’ largest smelter. A further 100MWp is currently under construction in the Netherlands.

• Partnered with Tesla to build off-grid solar and storage at utility scale in Eritrea; enough power for the 40,000 residents, in an impossibly remote part of the world.

• Currently delivering a utility scale mini-grid with battery storage in DRC.

• Over the last five years, bought 3 million solar panels (at $250 million) and are buying solar panels and are buying at least 2 million more over the next 12 months.

• In house engineering, analysis teams and data software.

• Operating with a strong balance sheet and zero debt.

Our experience in Africa has allowed us to build local knowledge and skills and an extensive network of strong partners. We’re now the leading solar provider to C&I businesses in Africa (Bloomberg, 2019*) with projects in Eritrea, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, DRC and RSA. We have offices in Kenya and Ghana, further representation in South Africa, and a pipeline of projects across 34 countries. Our reputation is second to none.

We’ve completed projects in Africa that use technology perfectly suited to mines. Because this sector depends so heavily on reliable and cost-effective power, the design, integration and delivery of its power is an engineering package that needs to be undertaken by experts in this field, working together with you – the experts in mining.

With 1.6 GWp deployed and a pipeline of 5 GWp, we’re a perfect partner.

Solar technology may be new for mining, but it’s not new to Solarcentury. With over twenty years’ experience in solar, we’ve built on four continents, off-grid and at scale.

*Source: Bloomberg, 2019. Solar for Businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa

Why solar + storage

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How it works The technologyA solar hybrid plant is the typical name for a system using solar, a battery energy storage system (BESS) and diesel back-up. Controls in this system minimise diesel use, prioritising power generated directly from the solar, or from stored solar energy in the BESS.

Security of supply is maintained by balancing supply and demand. When necessary, diesel (or other fuelled) generator, provides power at times when the sun isn’t shining or when the BESS is reaching a low state of charge.

Benefit from:

• KWh costs below 10 cents

• Energy security for the life of mine

• Quick to deploy – a 50MW capacity project could take just 2-3 months to construct

• Support for your Social License to Operate, offering employment opportunities for local communities and small businesses

• Low emission, non-polluting power generation

• Low yearly operation and maintenance costs

• A valuable community asset to donate or sell at the end of mine life

Protect your mine from:

• Fuel cost increases – South Africa, for example, has seen an annual 7.9% increase over recent years

• Fuel supply volatility due to global unrest or fuel and lorry drivers’ strikes

• Extreme weather events disrupting roads and bridges

• Mechanical breakdowns

• Fuel theft

• Fuel contamination, leakage and environmental damage

Storage is already economical for many commercial customers to reduce their peak consumption levels. At today’s lower prices, storage is starting to play a broader role in energy markets, moving from niche uses such as grid balancing to broader ones such as replacing conventional power generators for reliability, providing power-quality services, and supporting renewables integration.

McKinsey*

FinancingWhether you choose to buy and own the solar outright, pay for it over time, or buy the solar power by the kWh, we can arrange the right financing solution to meet your requirements.

Solar panels. Installed on the ground, panels may have tracking system to maximise exposure to sunlight.

Solar inverters. Converts solar power to mains electricity.

Batteries.

Battery inverters.

Back-up diesel generators. Provides power into main distribution board.

Main distribution board. Combines solar power with supply from BESS and generators. Control and monitoring interface automatically optimises supply and demand.

Online monitoring and control SCADA platform.

Power to the mine.

Power flow

Communication/ control links

*Source: McKinsey, 2017. Battery storage: The next disruptive technology in the power sector

44 MWp

Preventing 600,000 tonnes CO2 over its lifetime

An industrial process tailings site, this project has been transformed to produce clean power. Developed, built,

part-owned and managed by Solarcentury.

Budel, The Netherlands

Select projects

40 MWp

Preventing 560,000 tonnes CO2 over its lifetimePower for 21,600 local homes each year

Structured as a power purchase agreement over 15 years, to supply several distribution companies in Chile; 60% of solar energy generated will be sold under this PPA, and 40% will be sold to the spot market.

Doña Carmen, Chile

About SolarcenturyEstablished in 1998, Solarcentury is a global leader in the development and management of international large-scale solar projects and smart energy technology, with operations across Europe, Latin America and Africa. Privately owned and headquartered in the UK, Solarcentury is known internationally for building the largest solar farms in the UK, Netherlands, Kenya and Panama, as well as other pioneering projects including the world’s first solar bridge; Blackfriars Solar Bridge in central London.

To date, Solarcentury has deployed more than 1.6 GWp and has a total pipeline of 5 GWp. Its team provides a fully integrated strategy of ownership, development, engineering, procurement, construction, asset management, operation and maintenance. Solarcentury is global and growing with over 200 staff across European offices in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, France, and Germany; Latin American offices in Panama, Mexico and Chile; and African offices in Kenya and Ghana.

Solarcentury’s mission is to make solar power mainstream. From homes and commercial rooftops to large-scale solar farms, Solarcentury is making a meaningful difference in the fight against climate chaos by increasing the accessibility and production of solar power across the world.

We are a big believer in helping solar PV change our world for the better and we contribute 5% of our net profits every year to the charity we founded, SolarAid. They aim to combat climate change and poverty in the developing world by providing access to solar lights, while helping to eradicate the use of kerosene lamps in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia.

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Find out more

East Africa

Call +254 705 957 684 Email east.africa@solarcentury.com

West Africa

Call +233 208 435 851 Email west.africa@solarcentury.com

Southern Africa

Call +27 665 822 309 Email southern.africa@solarcentury.com

Visit

www.solarcentury.com

Solarcentury East Africa Ltd,Marula Manor, Marula Lane, Karen,Nairobi, Kenya

PO Box 15097,00509,Nairobi, Kenya

Solarcentury West Africa Ltd,1B Quartey Papafio Avenue,Airport Residential Area, Accra, Ghana

PO Box 410,Airport, Accra-Ghana

Solarcentury HQ,90 Union St, London,SE1 0NWUK

Registered in England & Wales no. 3570325