Antinuclear

Off grid solar for Australia’ s remote area mining industries

Miners investigating off grid solar, PV Magazine 20. NOVEMBER 2013  BY:  JONATHAN GIFFORD Australia’s mining industry is investigating solar to supply some of its energy needs in off-grid and remote locations. In the resource rich state of Western Australia, estimated savings could reach an excess of AUD$2 billion……..

Australia’s mining industry may finally be making moves towards renewables, as evidenced by strong interest in the recent technology forum. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is leading the way in supporting such development. ARENA hosted the recent event in the Western Australian capital city of Perth in partnership with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy to promote renewables for mining installations.

ARENA’s support scheme, the Regional Australia’s Renewables – Industry Program (I-RAR), assists the industry with such mining applications. The program, which is accepting proposals until the end of the year, offers support for such projects in diverse ways. “We’re actually looking at a variety of support mechanisms, everything from upfront capital grants to revenue based support to what I would call contingent or risk-sharing grants on the backend,” ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht told pv magazine……..

Frischknecht told pv magazine that ARENA had already received a number of applications for funding and support under the regional renewables program, including mineral and natural gas extraction ventures. He said that the body has a project pipeline worth “several billion dollars” that it is currently evaluating. “In terms of technologies we’re currently looking at projects that could include solar thermal or PV, or wind,” said Frischknecht…….

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy, ARENA and Austrade are currently working on a publication to share some of the challenges to realizing mining industry renewable projects featuring case studies from existing installations.http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/miners-investigating-off-grid-solar_100013493/#axzz2lJMBH8HE

November 20, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar