US $55million is set to be invested in development of photovoltaic solar power plant at the Tasiast mine, in Mauritania.
Kinross revealed the plans and said it is part of the group’s efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Tasiast solar investment forms part of the $50-million that Kinross budgeted for environmental, social and corporate governance-related capital expenditures for 2022, the balance including a potential power line to connect the Udinsk project into the regional grid in Russia, reducing the operation’s reliance on using diesel for electricity generation, the miner reported.
Net-zero GHG emissions
Kinross has committed to a goal of being a net-zero GHG emissions company by 2050 and has set a target to achieve a 30% reduction in intensity per ounce produced of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030.
The power plant is set to have a generation capacity of 34 MW and 18 MW battery system which will be integrated with the mine’s power generation suite, providing about 20% of the site’s power. The Canadian gold miner said the solar investment would reduce GHG emissions by up to 50 000 t/y, or about 530 000 t over the life-of-mine (LoM), saving about 180-million litres of fuel over that period.
The Tasiast gold mine is an open-pit gold mine in Mauritania, owned and operated by Kinross Gold. The mine is located 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of the capital of Nouakchott in a wadi called Khatt Atui.
