News

Northern Star Resources is planning to take on its largest renewable energy project to date, the 366 MW Kalgoorlie Regional Renewable Energy Project (KRREP) proposed for a site north-east of Kalgoorlie in WA’s Goldfields.

Northern Star started small with a 2.5 MW solar farm at its Carosue Dam Gold Mine, before increasing its ambitions to install 24 MW of wind, 16.9 MW of solar, and 12 MW / 13.4 MWh of battery energy storage last year at its Jundee mining operations.

These projects are part of the ASX-listed miner’s aim to reduce its scope 1 and scope 2 carbon emissions by 35% by 2030.

The Kalgoorlie Regional Renewable Energy Project proposal, to be located approximately 10km north-east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is planned to power Northern Star’s Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) operations.

It includes the construction and operation of up to 32 turbines with a total capacity of 256 MW, a 110 MW AC solar farm, and a 140 MW / 300 MWh battery energy storage system.

The project will connect to infrastructure at KCGM, including the “Super-pit” on the outskirts of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, via a 132kV underground transmission line.

Northern Star forecasts that once the KRREP is fully operational KCGM’s electricity supply from renewable energy will exceed 70% of its entire consumption.

This will also avoid adding more demand on the SWIS and the 105 MW gas-fired Parkeston Power Station, co-owned by Northern Star and operator TransAlta.

The KRREP project site is located within a development envelope of 2312 hectares, containing a renewable energy project area of 355 hectares.

Construction is expected to take up to two years, during which the construction workforce is expected to reach approximately 300 people.

The proposal is currently being assessed by the WA government’s Environmental Protection Authority.