Renewable energy developer Pacific Energy has completed the installation of all 66,000 solar modules for a 35MW solar PV plant at a Western Australian mining site.
The PV plant will form part of a hybrid renewable energy system at the project, which is located at Gold Fields’ St Ives mine site. Pacific Energy has confirmed that all civil works and mechanical installations have been completed at the site, with electrical work nearing completion ahead of commissioning, scheduled to begin in December.
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The St Ives solar installation represents Gold Fields’ first renewable energy project to be managed in-house.
When operational, the solar component will exceed the capacity of Pacific Energy’s 61MW hybrid power system at Tropicana gold mine, which came online earlier this year and currently holds the distinction of being Australia’s largest off-grid hybrid power system with a 24MW solar farm component.
Pacific Energy invests in Western Australia
The completion of panel installation at St Ives demonstrates Pacific Energy’s expanding presence in Western Australia’s mining sector, where the company has been developing multiple renewable energy projects to support the decarbonisation efforts of mining operations.
The Perth-based company previously announced the 35MW solar PV plant as part of its growing portfolio of hybrid power systems, designed to reduce the reliance of mining operations on fossil fuels.
Pacific Energy has also secured contracts beyond the mining sector, including a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Horizon Power to supply Exmouth with 80% renewable energy from solar PV in the Gascoyne region through a hybrid system comprising a 9.6MW solar farm, a 49.6 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) and a 7MW gas power station.
The St Ives project reflects broader trends in Western Australia’s mining industry, where companies are increasingly adopting renewable energy solutions to reduce operational costs and carbon emissions.
The state’s mining sector has become a significant driver of solar PV deployment, with projects ranging from small-scale installations to large utility-scale developments designed to power energy-intensive mining operations.
In Volume 42 of PV Tech Power, PV Tech explored the use of solar PV in Australia’s mines and how the technology is helping unlock the country’s green metals opportunity.
