- Pan African Resources has awarded an EPC contract to juwi Renewable Energies to install a photovoltaic solar plant at its Evander gold mines in South Africa.
- The energy for the plant will power the mine tailings reprocessing plant. ‘
- The mine owner is also looking to incorporate renewable energy in its operation at other mines across the country.
South Africa-based Juwi Renewable Energies will install a 9.974MWp solar PV plant at Evander gold mines in South Africa. Pan African Resources, the mine owners awarded the EPC contract for juwi to install double-sided solar panels. The project will be sited on land used for mining activities.
According to the developers, the construction of the plant will begin in Q1 2021. Cobus Loots, the CEO of Pan African Resources stated that “the solar photovoltaic installation at the Evander mine is an integral part of its goal to operate the mines for the future and pursue environmental, social and governance initiatives that go beyond compliance. The plant will be one of the first of its kind in the South African mining space. We look forward to commissioning it in 2021, on budget and schedule”. The project is expected to cost 140 million South African rands ($9.5 million).
When completed, the plant’s generated electricity will be used to power the Elikhulu tailings reprocessing plant. It will also significantly reduce the mine’s electricity costs. According to Pan African Resources, it is estimated that up to 26,000 tonnes of CO2 emission will be avoided manually. Pan African Resources is also looking to increase clean energy in its other mining operations across the country. The company is looking to extend its solar PV mine at its Egoli project site and fit its Barberton gold mine with a solar PV plant.