Kinross to invest US $55M in solar power at Tasiast mine
Kinross has announced plans to invest US $55million in a photovoltaic solar power plant at its Tasiast mine, in Mauritania.
The Canadian gold miner said it is part of the group’s efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The power plant is set to have a generation capacity of 34 MW and 18 MW battery system which will be integrated with the mine’s power generation suite, providing about 20% of the site’s power, Kinross said in a statement.
Tasiast solar investment
Site activities, such as geotechnical drilling for solar panel foundations, will start in the second quarter of this year, with the plant scheduled to be completed in the September quarter of next year. According to the firm, the solar investment would reduce GHG emissions by up to 50 000 t/y, or about 530 000 t over the life-of-mine (LoM), saving about 180-million litres of fuel over that period.
The Tasiast solar investment forms part of the $50-million that Kinross budgeted for environmental, social and corporate governance-related capital expenditures for 2022, the balance including a potential power line to connect the Udinsk project into the regional grid in Russia, reducing the operation’s reliance on using diesel for electricity generation, the miner reported.
Kinross has committed to a goal of being a net-zero GHG emissions company by 2050 and has set a target to achieve a 30% reduction in intensity per ounce produced of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030.
