KCGM is a large-scale gold mining operation located in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, encompassing the infamous Super Pit, underground operations and a newly commissioned processing mill. Zenith Energy has been contracted to deliver Australia’s largest renewable energy power solution for the mining sector, supporting the decarbonisation of one of the country’s most iconic mining operations.
Zenith Energy, in a joint venture with Northern Star Resources, will deliver a dual-fuel thermal power station to support the KCGM expansion, while significantly reducing its carbon intensity. The project represents a major step in the decarbonisation of large, energy-intensive mining operations in the region.
Renewable Integration
The renewable project integrates 256 MW of wind generation, 138 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity, and a 138 MW / 300 MWh battery energy storage system to deliver renewable power, while managing intermittency.
Zenith Energy has entered into a 25-year Power Purchase Agreementwith Northern Star Resources to design, build, own, and operate this project. Eastern Goldfields Power Project has been designed to reduce maintenance and power intensity while improving reliability.
Installed Capacity
- Wind: 256 MW
- Solar PV: 138 MW
- Battery Energy Storage System (BESS): 138 MW / 300 MWh
- Total Renewable Capacity: 394 MW plus 300 MWh of storage
- In addition, 140 MW of thermal generation will be delivered to ensure system reliability and continuity of supply.
For more information, visit:
Eastern Goldfields Power Project (KCGM Operations)
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Location: Adjacent to KCGM Operations, Kalgoorlie
Project Type: Energy Generation
Project Phase: In development
Targeted date for project completion:
Mid-2027 (subject to environmental and regulatory approvals)
Tropicana is a large open pit and underground gold mine owned by AngloGold Ashanti, located in the Northern Goldfields. The company’s strategy to reduce its global net carbon emissions from energy use by 30% by 2030, forms part of a roadmap to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The decarbonisation journey at Tropicana started in 2016, when diesel power generation was replaced with natural gas generation enabled by the extension of the Eastern Goldfields natural gas pipeline.
The remote mine, accessed via a 375km dirt road from Kalgoorlie-Boulder, sought collaboration from local Shires on the transport route for the 80m long wind turbine blades, shipped to Geraldton Port. The turbines were transported approximately 1,200km by road on specially constructed trucks. Each 130m high turbine tower was transported in seven sections. A 1,000 tonne crane, the largest in WA, was used to construct the towers and blades. It was transported in sections to the site, across approximately 60 truckloads.
Commissioning of the 24MW solar farm, comprising 42,120 solar panels of 545 watts each, with a 13MWh grid-forming battery energy storage system (BESS) began in 2024. The BESS is used at Tropicana to provide circuit stability, rather than energy storage.
Pacific Energy owns and operates the off-grid hybrid power station at Tropicana under a 10-year build-own-operate agreement. Pacific Energy’s inhouse-designed intelligent control system optimises input from the high penetration renewables and storage technologies which will enable the system to run hydrocarbons free for extended periods of time.
The project involved integrating 61MW of wind and solar generation into the existing 54MW gas-fired power station at the mine to create the largest off-grid hybrid power system in Australia.
The project involved more than 200,000 on-site labour hours and is expected to reduce Tropicana’s diesel and gas consumption for power generation by 96% and 50%, slashing carbon emissions by more than 65,000 tonnes per annum. This is equivalent to planting 33 million trees per annum and equates to a reduction of 5.6 million litres of diesel a year and 1.1 million gas gigajoules per annum.
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Hybrid Renewable Energy Plant (Tropicana Northern Goldfields)
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Location: Tropicana, 330km north-east of Kalgoorlie.
Project Type: Energy generation
Project Phase: Operational