State-of-the-art gas plant installed at Davyhurst gold mine

Located at Ora Banda Mining’s Davyhurst Gold Mine, approximately 150km north of Kalgoorlie, the gas station comprises five liquefied natural gas (LNG) generating sets and two diesel-generating sets for a combined modular power output of 8.2 megawatts.

Aggreko’s gas-fired power station will allow Ora Banda Mining to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 25,000 tonnes across the first five years of operation.

Aggreko Australia Pacific managing director George Whyte said he is excited by the prospects of the gas-led venture.

“The Davyhurst gas power station is a great example of how a mine which previously operated on diesel wanted to operate on cleaner fuel and we were able to switch from diesel to gas,” Whyte said.

“Creating a virtual pipeline application is a way to switch from diesel to a cleaner fuel source and reduce carbon immediately without requiring any capital outlay or a physical gas pipeline.”

Whyte said Aggreko is breaking new ground with the project.

“This project demonstrates great innovation, uses a virtual gas pipeline and is a world-first for us using the high-speed reciprocating gas engines in our gas power generators. The power station is highly efficient, scalable and very suitable for transient loads, and for the introduction of solar at a later stage.”

Ora Branda Mining managing director David Quinlivan said the gas power station would be a central resource for the gold mine.

“As part of the capital works program, we needed to re-establish a power station at Davyhurst and we worked with Aggreko and EVOL LNG to build a natural gas-powered station to power all of the site,” Quinlivan said.

“Initially, power was supplied to the site via an overhead line from Kalgoorlie. It is now trucked 650km to site where it is used to power the gas generators.

“The power station developed for the site now supplies power to the processing plant, to the administration complex, our exploration and core processing facilities, the main mine accommodation plant, and out to the underground mining offices. It also powers our primary communications facilities.”