MINING NEWS & INSIGHTS
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Mzansi Energy Consortium Helps Future Proof SA’s National Grid With Landmark PMC Agreement
Palabora ventilation shaft reaches a depth of 800 m
The Murray & Roberts Cementation shaft sinking team responsible for delivering a new ventilation shaft at Palabora Copper Mine (PMC) recently celebrated the achievement of a major milestone – the reaching of the 800 m mark. This represents two-thirds of the shaft’s final depth of 1 200 m.
The ventilation shaft forms part of the copper producer’s Lift II project which will extend mine life by more than 15 years. Originally an open pit mine, the Palabora mine transitioned to being an underground block cave operation in the early 2000s when Lift 1 was commissioned.
PMC is located within Phalaborwa in the Limpopo province in South Africa and the extension of the life of mine will increase shareholders’ value and sustain jobs and livelihoods of the surrounding communities….
Palabora Mining Company appoints IPP for renewable energy project
Palabora Mining Company (PMC) has partnered with Mzansi Energy Consortium (Mzansi Energy) through a formalized contract to develop a 132MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and battery energy storage system (BESS) capable of storing 310MWh of electricity.
The power plant, branded ‘Marula Green Power’, is expected to be rolled out over two stages. Stage 1 is the construction and stage 2 will be operation and maintenance. The project is expected to reach financial close in the second quarter of 2023 and commence operations in the second quarter of 2024. The current timelines are preliminary and may change based on the outcome of the Detailed Feasibility Study (DFS). Once deployed, the project will be one of South Africa’s largest private Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and is intended to provide the mine with both security of supply and significant cost savings.
Palaborwa mining firm builds massive solar plant
Palabora Mining Company (PMC) has signed a renewable energy deal with local independent power producer (IPP) Mzansi Energy Consortium to develop a 132MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and battery energy storage system.
According to a statement, once deployed, the solar plant will be one of SA’s largest private IPP initiatives, providing the mine with security of power supply and significant cost savings, while creating jobs in Limpopo.
The power plant, named Marula Green Power, will be capable of storing 310MWh of electricity and will be rolled out over two stages. Stage one will be the construction phase and stage two will be the operation and maintenance phase.
Mining company to source cost-efficient, clean power from IPP
The Palabora Mining Company (PMC), in Ba-Phalaborwa, has partnered with Mzansi Energy Consortium (Mzansi Energy) to develop a 132 MW solar PV plant and battery energy storage system (BESS) capable of storing 310 MWh of electricity. The “Marula Green Power” plant is expected to reach financial close in the second quarter of 2023 and commence operations in the second quarter of 2024.
Once deployed, the project will be one of South Africa’s largest private independent power producers (IPPs) and is intended to provide the mine with both security of supply and significant cost savings.
Wessel Wessels, CEO of Journey2Green (a founding partner in Mzansi Energy), says a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) will be finalised between the parties once a six-to-eight-month detailed feasibility study has been completed.
Palabora Mining Company appoints IPP
A clean, cost-efficient, stable electricity supply is critical to any mining sector leader. Palabora Mining Company (PMC) has partnered with Mzansi Energy Consortium (Mzansi Energy) through a formalised contract to develop a 132MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and battery energy storage system (BESS) capable of storing 310MWh of electricity.
Once deployed, the project will be one of South Africa’s largest private Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and is intended to provide the mine with both security of supply and significant cost savings in addition to offering secure, green energy and significant social upliftment for Ba-Phalaborwa Communities in Limpopo Province.
Palabora Mining Company appoints IPP
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – In the light of clean, cost-efficient, stable electricity supply being critical, Palabora Mining Company is partnering with Mzansi Energy to develop a 132 MWp solar photovoltaic plant and battery energy storage system capable of storing 310 MWh of electricity.
Mining Weekly can report that the Marula Green Power plant is heading for two-stage implementation – construction followed by operation and maintenance.
Financial close is likely in the second quarter of 2023, with operational commencement in the second quarter of 2024.
PMC plans a massive solar plant
In a joint media statement, PMC and the IPP, Mzanzi Energy Consortium, said they foresee the project to bring cost-efficient, secure, green energy and significant social upliftment for Ba-Phalaborwa and its surrounding communities and once deployed, the project will be one of South Africa’s largest private IPP’s. Marula Green Power is is expected to reach financial closure in the second quarter of 2023 and will commence operations in the second quarter of 2024. The first phase is planned to come online from second quarter of 2024 and will reduce load-reduction power cuts for PMC, the statement reads.
Parallel to the first phase, the second phase is the construction of the 132MWp solar plant and transmission lines to PMC, which is set to be commissioned from the fourth quarter of 2024. They said that the Marula Green Power plant will be funded through a limited recourse project finance structure with zero cost to the mine. “These timelines are preliminary at this stage and may change based on the outcome of the detailed feasibility study,” said Wessel Wessels, CEO of Journey2Green, a founding partner of Mzansi Energy.