- Syrah Resources has signed a PPP agreement with the Solar Century to develop a solar hybrid system at its graphite mines in Mozambique.
- An 8.5MWh energy storage system will accompany the 11.2MW solar power plant to ensure operational reliability at the mine.
- The mining company expects that the new power plant will reduce its energy costs and its carbon emissions in the Southern African country.
London-based Solar Century will install an 11.2MW solar-hybrid power plant for the Australian Mining Company, Syrah Resources at Balama, Mozambique. The power plant will provide the needed electricity to power Syrah’s graphite mining operations in the Southern African country. The power plant will be developed under a public-private partnership agreement where the developer will build, own, operate and then transfer the plant to the Syrah.
The solar power plant will be fitted with an 8.5 MWh battery storage system ensuring a reliable supply to the graphite mine. The implementation of clean energy will also reduce the mines energy costs and reduce its carbon footprint.
According to Syrah Resources MD and CEO, Shaun Verner, the power plant will reinforce the existing diesel power plant with 15 MW capacity. It would also help reduce the greenhouse gases emitted by the mining company Syrah Resources in Mozambique, one of the countries most affected by climate change in Africa.
In 2019, Mozambique was hit by two tropical cyclones – Idai and Kenneth – which led to the devastation of cultivated farmlands and produce in large swathes of the country’s central and northern parts.
Major companies in the country are looking towards adopting renewable energy solutions. Currently, a 41MWp solar PV plant is being constructed by Portuguese company Efacec Power Solutions. This project is being financed by the French Development Agency’s (AFD) private sector subsidiary Proparco.