- Caledonia Mining corporation erects a solar power plant at Blanket Mine.
- The solar plant is expected to contribute 27 per cent of electricity to the area.
Caledonia Mining Corporation has erected a solar power plant at Blanket Mine, which began generating power recently, to avert the imminent electricity challenges within the country.
The country is currently experiencing power shortages, which have seen some households go more than six hours without power, which has been attributed to various breakdowns in generation Units.
Caledonia began installing a solar power plant which generated 12.2 Megawatts of power last year to guard against load-shedding.
To circumvent the power challenges, the company resorted to utilising diesel as an alternative, but it has argued that it was costly.
Chief Executive Officer, Mark Learmonth, said the power plant would be a massive boost to the mining company as it will enjoy uninterrupted power supply in the face of load-shedding owing to the 27 per cent estimated contribution of the solar plant to the area.
On the 21 per cent of Blanket’s on-mine costs relating to energy usage, he also added that this solar plant is a very important project for the company as it will improve the quality and security of Blanket’s electricity supply and provide environmental benefits through cleaner energy.
The solar power will displace more expensive power from the grid and the diesel generators and is expected to reduce Caledonia’s consolidated cost per ounce of gold produced by approximately $37.