Posted by Daniel Gleeson on twenty third July 2024
Zenith Power says it has signed contracts with Lynas Uncommon Earths Ltd to design, construct, personal, function and preserve a hybrid energy station at Lynas’ Mt Weld mine, 35 km southeast of Laverton, Western Australia.
The Mt Weld hybrid energy station will embody a 24 MW Wind Farm, 7 MW photo voltaic PV farm and a 12 MW/12 MWh battery vitality storage system (BESS). This renewable facility can be supported by a 17 MW excessive effectivity fuel fired energy station, with 5 MW of standby diesel era, Zenith defined. The overall put in capability of the Mt Weld Energy Station upon completion can be roughly 65 MW.
The time period of the PPA is 15 years, commencing from business operation of the wind farm, which is scheduled to happen in 2026. The diesel and fuel amenities are scheduled to be accomplished within the first half of 2025, with photo voltaic and BESS to be put in progressively, and full operation anticipated in 2026.
The Mt Weld hybrid energy station has been designed to run “engine-off” during times of excessive renewable vitality manufacturing and obtain a mean annual renewable vitality proportion of as much as roughly 70%.
Zenith calls itself a number one impartial energy supplier on the forefront of the transition to renewable vitality within the mining sector. It’s at present contracted to function 15 separate distant era energy amenities, with a capability of greater than 650 MW throughout Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Zenith has already commenced early building works on the Mt Weld website, having entered into Preliminary and Early Works Agreements with Lynas in 2023.
Zenith CEO and Managing Director, Hamish Moffat, mentioned: “As a number one supplier of sustainable vitality options to the Australian assets market, Zenith is happy to be working with Lynas, the world’s solely vital producer of separated uncommon earth supplies outdoors of China, on the excessive renewable vitality fraction hybrid energy answer to their Mt Weld operations. The signing of the Mt Weld hybrid energy station PPA represents a big milestone for Zenith Power, with our contracted wind capability now exceeding 100 MW. Zenith look ahead to enabling Lynas to ship on their productiveness and decarbonisation targets.”.
Lynas CEO and Managing Director, Amanda Lacaze, added: “Lynas produces supplies used within the manufacture of twenty first Century applied sciences and we look ahead to working with Zenith Power because it delivers a twenty first Century energy answer for Mt Weld. As a part of our dedication to lowering GHG emissions and progressively transitioning to cleaner vitality sources, the present Mt Weld diesel energy plant can be decommissioned as quickly because the thermal (fuel) energy station is accomplished. Shifting away from the legacy diesel energy plant to a gas-firmed hybrid renewable energy station is a big step in our GHG emissions discount plan. Pleasingly, our dedication to renewable vitality sources additionally provides a decrease unit value of energy in comparison with a thermal-only energy answer.”
