BayWa re, Suntrace fire up 30-MW solar-plus-storage hybrid at Mali gold mine

Germany’s BayWa r.e. AG and Suntrace GmbH said that they have participated in the commissioning of an off-grid hybrid system combining a 30-MW solar farm with a battery at the Fekola gold mine in Mali, West Africa.

The new plant, hybridised with 15.4 MWh of battery storage, will lead to the shut-down of three heavy fuel oil (HFO) generators during daytime hours. The Fekola mine, which operates 24 hours a day, relies on six HFO generators, the renewable energy developers said in a joint press release.

Fekola is owned and operated by Canadian miner B2Gold Corp (TSE:BTO), which approved the project and a USD-38-million (EUR 31.9m) investment for the installation in 2019.

“We are very proud that B2Gold has entrusted Suntrace, together with BayWa r.e. as Engineering and Procurement contractor, to support the development and implementation of this innovative project," said Martin Schlecht, COO at Suntrace.

Finnish technology group Wartsila Corp (HEL:WRT1V) delivered the battery.

The hybrid was successfully integrated with the conventional energy solution at the Fekola site, while the solar plant is on the way to be 100% complete by the end of June, the companies added.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.839)

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