Mineral Resources Limited (MinRes), a leading Australian mining services and processing company, has announced that it has commissioned a hybrid gas-solar power station at its Ken’s Bore mine site, part of the broader Onslow iron ore project in Western Australia.
26 MW power station to drive core mining operations
According to the company, Ken’s Bore site is now entirely powered by a hybrid system supplying energy to essential facilities including crushers, reclaimers, and loaders. As part of this project, MinRes constructed a 26-megawatt power station and a 16-kilometer underground high-pressure pipeline, connecting the site directly to the Goldfields gas pipeline.
Solar array and battery storage enhance efficiency
The power system includes a 3.8 MW solar array made up of 6,600 photovoltaic panels with single-axis tracking for maximum efficiency and a 3.3 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) to provide immediate output during rapid changes in cloud cover.
Significant environmental impact
By replacing diesel with natural gas and solar energy, MinRes said it expects that the hybrid station will reduce 67 million liters of diesel use annually and cut carbon emissions by 47,000 metric tons per year.
