The largest off-grid hybrid system in Australia’s resources sector
Pacific Energy has been the long-term power partner for the Tropicana gold mine, located 330km east of Kalgoorlie, since delivering its first build-own-operate (BOO) power station for the site in 2012.
The original 44MW diesel station was built to enable mine operations while a dedicated gas pipeline to the site was constructed. In 2014, once the gas was connected, the station was converted into a 44MW gas-fired system and later expanded to 54MW in 2019.
In 2023, AngloGold Ashanti Australia and Regis Resources contracted Pacific Energy to integrate 61MW of renewable energy and storage into the facility as part of their decarbonisation strategy.
The expansion, delivered under a 10-year BOO agreement, includes:
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- Four 6MW wind turbines
- 24MW solar farm
- 13MW battery energy storage system (BESS)
Pacific Energy’s in-house intelligent control system will optimise renewable and storage inputs, enabling hydrocarbons-off operation for extended periods. The integration is forecast to reduce Tropicana’s diesel consumption by 96%, gas consumption by 50%, and cut carbon emissions by 65,000 tonnes annually.
At completion in early 2025, the 115MW hybrid power station represented the largest off-grid hybrid investment in Pacific Energy’s portfolio and the largest off-grid hybrid power system in Australia’s resources sector.
