BELLEVUE GOLD. IMAGE COURTESY ZENITH ENERGY
ENERGY AND MINES: What are some of the challenges miners face when installing hybrid renewable power plants? DANIEL WATSON: Mining operations present a unique set of challenges when integrating hybrid renewable power plants. One of the primary issues is site remoteness, which complicates logistics, infrastructure development, and support & maintenance. Transporting and installing renewable energy assets such as solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage systems in remote locations adds significant costs and complexity. Battery selections will depend on the access road conditions and the choice of vendors will depend on who is available when needed. Another challenge is the variability and intermittency of renewable energy sources. Mines operate 24/7 and require a highly reliable energy supply, but solar and wind generation are subject to weather fluctuations. Ensuring stability requires advanced forecasting, energy storage, and intelligent control systems. Additionally, the existing power infrastructure at mine sites is often designed for traditional diesel or gas generation. Integrating renewables necessitates upgrading or modifying electrical networks, sometimes leading to costly retrofits. Some miners must also navigate regulatory and permitting challenges, particularly around land use, environmental impact assessments, and compliance with national grid codes. Lastly, financing remains a barrier. While renewables
offer long-term cost savings, the upfront capital investment can be significant, and miners need financial models that align with their operational and investment horizons. This will have an impact on the choice of equipment, extracting the maximum value is important for smart investments, but this needs to be balanced with availability. E&M: What kind of energy efficiency and other gains can advanced control systems bring to renewable hybrid power plants and how? DW: Advanced control systems significantly enhance the efficiency and performance of hybrid renewable power plants by optimizing energy dispatch, reducing fuel consumption, and stabilizing power quality. They unlock multiple value streams and provide a flexible base that can ensure continuous mining operations while also prioritizing renewables. A properly designed and implemented system also enables fully autonomous controls, which with renewables has much lower risk than hydrocarbon-based generation. By using real-time data analytics and predictive algorithms, these systems dynamically balance renewable generation, storage, and conventional power sources. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels, minimizes curtailment of renewable energy, and extends the lifespan of most assets. Another major advantage is improved power stability. Renewable energy fluctuations can cause frequency and voltage instability, but advanced high-speed
BELLEVUE GOLD. IMAGE COURTESY ZENITH ENERGY
DANIEL WATSON AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS INNOVATOR YOKOGAWA
Integrating renewable energy sources and batteries into remote hybrid power plants brings variability and intermittency challenges – but the right advanced control systems can optimize reliability and cost savings for mines, explains Daniel Watson, Automation Solutions Innovator at Yokogawa. HOW ADVANCED CONTROL SYSTEMS CAN IMPROVE RELIABILITY IN HYBRID PLANTS
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