Caledonia in renewable energy drive
CALEDONIA Mining Corporation’s Blanket mine says it will spend approximately US$200 million on renewable energy for an uninterrupted power supply and reduced costs.
Power demand is likely to more than double in the short term given the country’s ambitious plan of attaining a US$12 billion mining output by next year.
Blanket Mine uses energy to power most of its underground equipment, metallurgical plant, and to hoist ore, waste and employees to the surface.
From 2018 to 2020, the gold miner spent about US$22, 7 million on power consumption but shifted focus to renewable energy for constant power supply and reduced costs.
While it is costly, the miner uses diesel-generated electricity to augment power supplies.
The company’s diesel consumption increased by 41 percent in 2020 due to the generator running time increasing as a result of a deterioration in the grid supply.
On a monthly basis, the company until December said it was spending US$450 000 on diesel generator costs. But, now it is spending about US$350 000 a month due to other energy interventions but “still too much”, according to the miner.
“Recognising the economic, environmental and logistical challenges of running large-scale diesel generators for extended periods, Caledonia is constructing a solar plant with an additional US$2 million for expenses which include designs, tender process, obtaining licenses and site clearance,” said Caledonia in its periodic release.-ebusinessweekly
