Solarcentury Africa, part of the BB Energy Group, has just reached financial close on a 11.25 MWp solar PV plant and 8.5 MW/MWh battery energy storage system for Mozambique’s Balama graphite mine.
The project is financed by CrossBoundary Energy and is expected to start operating at the end of Q1 2023.
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The Balama mine is operated by Syrah Resources of Australia and currently relies on a 15.4 MW diesel driven power station. The new solar and battery facilities will be integrated to the existing thermal power generation plant and managed by a hybrid power control system, delivered under a 10-year build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) arrangement. The arrangement comprises an operating lease and an operating and maintenance contract.
“The hybrid power system will supply approximately 35% of the Mine’s power needs, resulting in a c. 35% reduction of diesel consumption,” Syrah Resources and BB Energy said in a statement.
At the end of the 10-year contract, ownership of the project company will be transferred from CrossBoundary Energy to Syrah Resources.