Australia's Largest Off-Grid Solar Hybrid to Power Mine

A copper mine in the Australian outback is getting a power upgrade that could change how remote operations get their energy.

Energy company Aggreko just locked in a 15-year deal with Harmony Gold to build and run what will become Australia's largest off-grid renewable hybrid power plant. The facility will support the Eva copper project, a $1.67 billion open-pit mine being built about 75 kilometers northeast of Cloncurry in northwest Queensland.

The power plant packs serious clean energy punch. It combines a 118 megawatt solar farm with a massive 250 megawatt-hour battery storage system, backed up by 104 megawatts of thermal power to keep things running when the sun isn't shining.

Aggreko will build, own, and operate the facility, optimizing it to use renewables as much as possible. The company says this setup will deliver high renewable energy use, burn less fuel, and cut emissions throughout the mine's entire lifecycle.

The partnership doesn't stop there. Aggreko is already working with Harmony to boost the renewable share even higher, potentially adding wind turbines and eventually connecting to the main power grid as the mine's needs evolve over time.

George Whyte, Aggreko's managing director for Asia-Pacific, called the Eva project a milestone for both the company and Australian mining. He says the scale and integration between solar, batteries, and thermal generation sets a new benchmark for off-grid energy in the country.

The Ripple Effect

This project reflects a bigger shift happening across Australia's mining sector. Companies are discovering that renewable energy doesn't just help the planet; it makes solid business sense too.

Liontown Resources partnered with Zenith Energy to power its Kathleen Valley lithium mine in Western Australia with a 95 megawatt hybrid system mixing solar, wind, battery storage, and backup gas generation. That facility currently holds the title of Australia's largest operating off-grid renewable hybrid power station.

But even that won't hold the crown for long. Northern Star Resources is planning an enormous 530 megawatt power plant to support gold mining operations near Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia, combining 138 megawatts of solar, 256 megawatts of wind, and significant battery storage.

Mining operations in remote locations have traditionally relied entirely on diesel generators, making them expensive to run and heavy carbon emitters. These new hybrid systems prove that even the most energy-intensive industries in the most isolated places can make the switch to cleaner power.

As more mining companies see their competitors cutting costs and emissions with renewable energy, the momentum keeps building for a greener resources sector across Australia.