Australian photo voltaic innovator 5B has landed its largest challenge but, because the know-how supplier for the PV element of a 95MW hybrid microgrid that can energy one of many world’s largest battery metals mines – at occasions at as much as 100 per cent renewables.
The microgrid for Liontown Sources’ Kathleen Valley Lithium challenge is being developed by Zenith Power and can mix 5 wind generators (30MW), 16MW of photo voltaic, a 17MW/19MWh battery vitality storage system and synchronous condensers for system stability.
The thermal energy element will comprise 27MW of fuel era and 5MW of diesel back-up.
The microgrid was announced by Zenith and Liontown in September final yr and billed as the most important but instance of an off-grid wind, photo voltaic and battery storage energy station for a mining operation in Australia.
Liontown Sources, which is creating the Tier-1 greenfield mine 700km northeast of Perth, awarded Zenith the contract to produce electrical energy to the location on a “construct, personal and function foundation” over 15 years.
The microgrid will energy the large lithium mine at a mean of 60% renewables, however Zenith expects that when the thermal vitality elements are in “engine off” mode, at occasions of excessive wind and photo voltaic useful resource, the mine will function for intervals at 100% renewables.
For 5B, the Kathleen Valley mine challenge kicks off its partnership with Zenith, inked nearly a yr in the past, as deployment accomplice on its portfolio of greater than 400MW of off-grid and distant energy era tasks throughout WA and the Northern Territory, predominantly for assets tasks.
It additionally marks the largest job but for the corporate whose speedy deployment Maverick PV know-how has attracted the backing of former PM Malcolm Turnbull, millionaire local weather activist Simon Holmes à Court docket and – most not too long ago – global oil major BP.
5B has to date rolled out greater than 60MW of its photo voltaic know-how, together with a ten.6MW challenge within the Atacama Desert in Chile, and a 12.8MW array at a water remedy plant in South Australia.
It has additionally been named as the popular provider within the large 20GW Solar Cable photo voltaic farm, the event of which at present hangs within the steadiness after the corporate behind it went into voluntary administration and is now up on the market.
5B says it was an integral a part of the Zenith Power bid for the Kathleen Valley challenge, because of the the speedy rollout and security benefits of its prefabricated and concertinaed Maverick array techniques.
“5B has demonstrated that it has the potential to get the Kathleen Valley website to full photo voltaic PV era capability three months forward of typical single entry tracker options with the potential to avoid wasting greater than 60% of the person hours required on website,” stated Zenith managing director and CEO Hamish Moffat in an announcement on Tuesday.
“That is making a quicker pathway to marketplace for photo voltaic PV renewable vitality era property.”
5B deputy CEO Nicole Kuepper-Russell says it’s nice to see green-field mining operations just like the Liontown challenge incorporating renewable vitality from the outset.
“We’re extremely lucky to have Zenith Power as an integration accomplice who’s leveraging the prefabrication and speedy deployment of our photo voltaic know-how to assist mining corporations and heavy trade transition to scrub vitality,” Kuepper-Russell stated.
Zenith will start deploying the 342 5B Maverick array techniques in June 2023. First product on the Kathleen Valley Lithium Venture is deliberate for mid-2024 and, on start-up, the challenge will function on 60 p.c renewables.
