14 DAY TRIAL // American company First Solar has recently announced that it is to become involved in greening up Australia's mining industry. Thus, the company is to provide mines in said country with access to clean energy resulting from harvesting sunlight.
As part of this initiative, First Solar is to deploy 200 megawatts worth of solar power plants in Australia. Together with diesel-fueled generators, these solar power plants will help make sure that local mines have their power demands properly dealt with.
Clean Technica informs that, although this project is bound to yield some benefits in terms of curbing greenhouse gas emissions, the chief goal is to reduce the electricity cost of mining in Australia.
This is because, as of recently, mining firms in this country have not been as profitable as they used to be. Hence, efforts must be made to reduce the costs associated with carrying out mining operations, the same source details.
“In an environment where profitability isn’t what it used to be, with the mining industry focused on cost control, the electricity that powers the mines is becoming a bigger line item, and the ability to put a dent in that and hedge against fuel price volatility is something that solar offers,” Jack Curtis with First Solar explained in a statement.
Should things go as planned, the solar power plants intended for mines in Australia will be up and running in about three years' time.