Solar panels to reduce emissions at BHP Nickel West

(Posted on 25/07/22)

The first solar panels have started being installed this week at BHP’s massive solar farm at Leinster Nickel Operation in the Northern Goldfields.

By the end of 2022, over 20,000 solar panels will be installed at this site alone, helping to power BHP Nickel West’s mining and concentrating operations at Leinster. At Mt Keith Operation there are even more - with over 51,000 solar panels going in.

The Northern Goldfields Solar Project, to be constructed and owned by one of BHP Nickel West’s renewable energy partners TransAlta, includes a 27.4 MW solar farm at Mt Keith Nickel Operation and a 10.7 MW solar farm and 10.1 MW battery at Leinster Nickel Operation, which will be integrated into TransAlta’s Northern Goldfields remote power grid.

The project, which will replace power currently supplied by diesel and gas, will help BHP Nickel West reduce Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions at its Mt Keith and Leinster operations by 12 per cent resulting in an estimated reduction of 54,000 tonnes CO2-e per annum.

The construction phase of the solar project has created more than 100 direct and indirect jobs in the Goldfields and Perth regions and is expected to produce its first solar power by the end of 2022.

BHP Nickel West Asset President Jessica Farrell said BHP was meeting its commitment to deliver sustainable low carbon nickel to its customers, a product that is in high demand to power batteries and electric vehicles.

“The Northern Goldfields Solar Project is BHP’s first off-grid large-scale renewable energy project across our global operations and, significantly, will remove the equivalent of up to 23,000 combustion engine cars [2] from the road every year, supporting our greenhouse gas reduction targets,” Ms Farrell said.

TransAlta is also working with BHP Nickel West to identify potential wind sites for a 40 to 50MW wind farm, which would connect to TransAlta’s northern grid and reduce Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions at BHP’s Mt Keith and Leinster operations.  

Adding wind will increase renewable energy supply to support BHP’s growth and further each company’s sustainability goals. 

Latest News

Rio Tinto reaches four billion tonnes of iron ore shipped to China

Rio Tinto has celebrates the shipment of four billion tonnes of iron ore from the Pilbara in Western... Read more

Africa’s opportunity to build sustainable logistics networks across mining sector

Capt. Pappu Sastry, CEO of Adhira Shipping and Logistics (ASL) has said that Africa’s mining sector... Read more

Conditions on Simandou iron ore investment now satisfied

All conditions have now been satisfied for Rio Tinto’s investment to develop the Simandou high... Read more

ADM offers segregated, traceable soybean meal to European customers

ADM, a global leader in innovative solutions from nature, has announced that it is offering fully verified... Read more

Rio Tinto to install carbon free aluminium smelting cells

Rio Tinto will install carbon free aluminium smelting cells at its Arvida smelter in Québec,... Read more

Moonbound appoints ASL for long-term South African lithium logistics project

Moonbound Mining Ltd. has appointed Adhira Shipping and Logistics (ASL) as its logistics contractor... Read more

ADM and Bayer collaboration help farmers achieve lower carbon emissions

 ADM and Bayer have announced an extension of their collaboration, working with farmers in a bid... Read more

US House appropriations bill includes reinstatement of NASS reports

A House appropriations subcommittee in the USA has approved its Fiscal Year 2025 bill that includes... Read more

Rio Tinto to acquire Mitsubishi’s stake in Boyne aluminium smelter

Rio Tinto has agreed to acquire Mitsubishi Corporation’s 11.65% interest in Boyne Smelters Ltd... Read more

Richards Bay Minerals’ renewable energy agreement

Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has signed a renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) with Khangela Emoyeni... Read more