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Trevali Mining (TSC: TV) is looking to solar power to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions at its Rosh Pinah underground zinc-lead mine in southwestern Namibia.
The Canadian base metals miner has signed a 15-year renewable power purchase agreement with Emerging Markets Energy Services Company (EMESCO) that will provide 30% of the mine’s power from solar and reduce the company’s overall emissions by 6%.
The agreement is also expected to reduce energy costs at Rosh Pinah by 18% for Trevali over the life of the agreement. The miner will pay a fixed rate for power, with EMESCO taking responsibility for the design, permitting, financing and implementation of the solar energy system on a neighbouring property at no cost to Trevali.
Trevali has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 25% by 2025, compared with a 2018 baseline.
The company is considering an expansion of Rosh Pinah – RP2.0 – from 700,000 t/y to 1.3 million t/y, with a feasibility study expected in the second half of the year. If it moves ahead with the expansion, EMESCO will increase its power delivery so that solar continues to represent 30% of the mine’s annual power consumption.
“Our sustainability program commits to significant reductions in GHG emissions, and with the signing of this agreement with EMESCO we have taken a major step towards delivering on our commitment by securing renewable energy while also reducing our expected energy costs,” said Ricus Grimbeek, Trevali’s president and CEO.
“The agreement with EMESCO has been designed to scale with the output of the mine so that when we are ready to make the decision to build the RP2.0 Expansion project, the delivery of power will increase to match our requirements.”
Trevali owns a 90% stake in Rosh Pinah, with 10% held by broad-based and employee empowerment plans.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)
