At the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a huge solar power plant was commissioned for full commercial operation.
In collaboration with CrossBoundary Energy, the power plant is a hybrid system that combines 360,000 high-efficiency back-contact solar modules with a large battery storage capacity of 526 megawatt-hours.
With 233 megawatts of capacity at peak generation, the power plant supplies 30 megawatts of baseload power to mining industries with a 95% annual availability guarantee.
Solving grid blackouts in isolated industrial regions
The heavy industrial mining process requires a continuous flow of electrical power.
Copper mining and refining operations in Kamoa-Kakula need a constant power supply for crushing machines, flotation tanks, and ventilation systems.
The local utility power grids experience voltage dips and total blackouts frequently. Hydroelectric power shortages and grid constraints in the Lualaba Province have forced heavy industries to consume millions of gallons of diesel fuel.
Consumption of diesel causes high operational costs and a heavy carbon footprint.
Shipping fuel across thousands of miles of rough terrain is highly susceptible to supply chain risks and fluctuating fuel prices.
Setting up an independent hybrid power grid system protects the mining complex from grid power failures.
Elimination of front grid lines through back-contact solar cells
The efficiency of the modules determines the total land area for remote solar installations. For maximizing production per acre, the utilization of AIKO’s All-Back-Contact N-type solar panels became necessary.
Traditional solar panels feature metallic grid lines on the front glass.
These busbars shadow the silicon material and hence lower the light-to-energy efficiency rate of the panel, as well as increase micro-cracks due to environmental exposure.
The back-contact design allows electrical connections to be made from the back of the cell.
Lack of front grid lines ensures maximum light absorption as it forms a totally dark surface. Increased efficiency lowered the need for a structural support system.
The use of 360,000 highly efficient panels made it possible to fit 233 megawatts-peak into an extremely small area.
Storing daytime power in battery banks
Solar power production peaks do not coincide with continuous industrial electrical needs.
The solar panels produce their maximum output at noon, whereas the heavy mining machines require constant power for 24 hours.
Power storage requires enormous energy storage capability. This project accommodates a 526-megawatt-hour battery storage system operated by CrossBoundary Energy.
These battery banks function as energy shock absorbers.
Energy management systems store extra solar energy during the maximum sunlight hours to avoid curtailment.
Stable line frequencies can be achieved through energy buffers, and abrupt voltage peaks due to cloud cover fluctuations are avoided.
Supply of consistent power after sunset
Conventional solar farms generate no power once the sun sets. Plants working on three consecutive shifts usually revert to backup power from diesel generators immediately after.
This plant will become the first solar baseload power source in Africa, according to Aiko Solar.
Discharge of battery-stored energy enables a consistent supply of 30 megawatts of baseload power throughout the night.
CrossBoundary Energy reports that consistent baseload production drastically reduces the dependence on diesel. Use of energy from renewable sources at night reduces operational costs while ensuring stable pricing.
The provision of a stable power supply changes the economics of renewables.
It proves the possibility of generating baseload power using solar and batteries, which opens up new business prospects for off-grid industrial plants.
Reducing carbon footprints in critical minerals mining
Worldwide logistics need to produce low-carbon industrial metal.
Large amounts of copper are needed for electric cars and renewable energy grids, thus creating an incentive for sustainably mined materials.
Decarbonization leads to a dramatic reduction of Scope 1 emissions. Reducing carbon dioxide by offsetting high diesel production helps reduce tens of thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Renewable energy guarantees the long-term stability of production costs for raw material production.
Stabilizing energy prices from fluctuations in global oil markets provides protection for decades of mining minerals.
The Kamoa-Kakula mining project creates a model of the industrial microgrid. This proves that the combination of back-contact photovoltaic panels and utility-scale batteries works in favor of heavy industrial facilities.
Read the whole thing?
Get the week's signal, not the noise
Our sharpest reporting on energy, climate and nature — free, once a week.
