The primary of 15 gigantic blades, which is able to make up 5 wind generators, has left Geraldton Port on a 700km journey inland to a $951 million lithium mine being inbuilt Western Australia’s northern Goldfields. 

The Kathleen Valley lithium mine close to Leinster, 680km north-east of Perth, is about to be one of many greenest sources tasks in Australia, designed to be powered 60 per cent by renewable power. 

As soon as assembled, the wind generators will probably be 210 metres tall and type a part of a 95-megawatt hybrid energy station on the distant mine website. 

The 5 generators will every be able to producing 6 megawatts. 

The primary blade left Geraldton for Kathleen Valley on Sunday morning and one other seven convoys are deliberate between now and January.

Undertaking supervisor Man Allen, from transport firm Rex J Andrews, is overseeing the logistical problem. 

He additionally oversaw the transportation of blades for a wind farm on the Agnew gold mine close to Leinster in 2019, however these blades had been shorter at 66 metres.

“There’s slightly bit extra to it this specific event … the dimensions of them, they’re simply getting larger and greater,” Mr Allen advised the ABC. 

“There’re 15 blades this time round. The blades are 81.6 metres lengthy and the mixture of the trailer and the prime mover provides as much as about 92 metres.”

Wind a part of hybrid combine

A 1,000-tonne crane will probably be used for the set up of the wind generators, with the first footing not too long ago accomplished after a 16-hour steady concrete pour. 

It concerned 625 cubic meters of concrete and greater than 75 tonnes of strengthened metal. 

Perth-based, ASX-listed miner Liontown Sources maintains Kathleen Valley is on monitor to start manufacturing by mid-2024, as the corporate targets net-zero emissions by 2034.  

Wind energy will mix with photo voltaic power and battery storage on the mine, after Liontown Sources signed a 15-year energy buy settlement with Zenith Power in December final 12 months. 

As a part of the deal, Zenith agreed to finance, design, assemble, personal, function and preserve the ability station at Kathleen Valley.    

“Finalising the ability buy settlement marks one other necessary milestone for Liontown and the event of Kathleen Valley, paving the way in which for the development of one of many largest off-grid wind-solar-battery storage services of its variety within the Australian useful resource sector,” Liontown’s managing director Tony Ottaviano stated on the time.  

“This displays our unwavering dedication to delivering on our ESG (environmental, social and governance) credentials and establishing industry-leading carbon emissions from the outset.”

The hybrid energy station additionally features a 16-megawatt photo voltaic array, comprising 30,780 panels, and a 17 megawatt battery storage system.  

It’ll additionally embody 27 megawatts of fuel technology and 5 megawatts of diesel stand-by technology.  

Miner’s goal of internet zero

Mr Ottaviano stated Liontown was centered on ESG (environmental, social and governance) points all through the design part for the mission, describing it as a part of the corporate’s “core DNA”.  

“We’re attempting to do ESG on greater than only a PowerPoint … actual, tangible actions,” he advised the Diggers and Sellers Mining Discussion board in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in August.    

The corporate’s sustainability report launched in September declared its “ambition to realize net-zero emissions by 2034” with an preliminary goal of least 60 per cent renewable power from start-up at Kathleen Valley. 

The mission was initially anticipated to value $545 million, however rising prices within the sources sector have seen these estimates blow out to $951 million.  

Almost 90 per cent of the mine’s manufacturing for its first 5 years has already been locked in by way of off-take agreements with US electrical car producers Tesla and Ford Motor Firm and South Korean battery provider LG Power Options.