Pacific Energy has agreed with Gold Fields to design and build a 35MW solar farm for the St Ives gold mine, located in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields region.
The solar array is part of the AUS$296 million St Ives Renewables Project, including a 42MW wind power component. The project aims to supply the mine with over 70% of its energy needs from renewable sources and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 50% by 2030.
This project marks the first time Gold Fields has managed a renewable energy initiative in-house. The solar farm will be the largest array Pacific Energy has ever been contracted to deliver, covering nearly half of the project’s renewable energy target.
Pacific Energy’s chief executive Jamie Cullen commented, “Gold Fields is taking firm steps to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 significantly, and we are committed to helping them achieve this.”
He further emphasised the scalability of the solar design, stating, “Our engineers have factored in scalability… so that Gold Fields could expand its solar contribution almost immediately if needed.”
Cullen also noted that projects like this, which sit between large-scale and residential solar systems, are well-suited to Pacific Energy’s expertise, allowing them to assist partners in transitioning their energy mix.
“A key lesson we’ve learned over the years is that the design needs to be flexible and account for the rapid changes we’re seeing in the renewable energy transition,” he added.
Civil work on the solar farm is scheduled to begin in November 2024, with the facility expected to be fully operational by 2026.
