Canada's TransAlta is building a US$54 million hybrid solar battery project for BHP. It is the first large-scale onsite solar farm and battery that BHP has commissioned.
Solar hybrid facility to cut emissions
TransAlta subsidiary Southern Cross Energy will build, own and operate the Northern Goldfields Solar Project. The project will supply renewable solar power to BHP's Nickel West business in Western Australia.
The project comprises:
- a 27.4 MW solar farm at Mt Keith
- a 10.7 MW solar farm at Leinster
- a 10.1 MW battery at Leinster.
The solar hybrid facility will cut BHP's emissions from its Leinster and Mt Keith operations. BHP expects to remove 540,000 tonnes of CO2e over the first 10 years of operation. It will also reduce fuel costs and improve the reliability of electricity to the mine.
'We are proud to be supporting BHP's emissions reduction targets and sustainability goals through the expansion of our renewable generation footprint into Australia,' says John Kousinioris, TransAlta's President and Chief Executive Officer.
TransAlta will start building the project in Q2 FY2022. The build will take 12 to 14 months and employ over 100 people.
