Powering Westgold’s Mid West mines with renewable integration
In 2024, Pacific Energy commissioned four hybrid power systems for Westgold’s Big Bell, Fortnum, Bluebird and Tuckabianna operations in Western Australia’s Mid West.
Delivered concurrently under a seven-year build-own-operate agreement, the 82MW combined portfolio integrates 28MW of solar, 11.5MW of battery energy storage (BESS) and 42.5MW of high-efficiency gas generation. The systems replaced six diesel-fired plants and are expected to displace 38 million litres of diesel annually, cutting carbon emissions by up to 57,000 tonnes.
At the core of the design is Pacific Energy’s virtual generator (VG) BESS technology. By mimicking the characteristics of rotating thermal generators, VG BESS provide dynamic stability without burning fuel or relying on legacy equipment such as synchronous condensers. This marks a significant step forward in enabling renewable energy to serve as the primary source of system stability.
Each system also incorporates emergency hydrocarbons-off functionality, allowing seamless mining operations powered entirely by solar and BESS during outages or critical events.
