T
he availability of new power technologies, combined with increased concerns around environmental footprint and energy sustainability, are driving miners to explore cleaner solutions to power their businesses. This trend is pushing mining executives to investigate power dynamics and efficiencies in ways they never did before. But for those with a shorter mine life, the time and investment required to set up a clean, diverse power system on a remote site is hard to justify. Wärtsilä has a track record of installing a variety of power systems at remote locations around the world, from the Essakane Mine’s hybrid power plant in Burkina Faso to a diesel, wind, solar and storage microgrid integration that powers an island in the Azores, Portugal. Earlier this year, the company launched the Wärtsilä Modular Block, a flexible and redeployable solution for sustainable power generation, even in short-life mines. The plant is pre-fabricated, reducing installation time from several months to a few weeks, and making Wärtsilä’s medium-speed gas and liquid fuel engine technology available where conventional permanent set-ups are not. Energy and Mines spoke with Mark Kennedy, Business Development Manager at the All markets are firm, to get more details on the innovation.
showing interest in incorporating renewables and energy storage into the mix. Obviously areas where renewable resources are most available are leading the way. 4
Energy and Mines: Your modular block solution is redeployable — what does that mean exactly? Is there a defined period that mining customers need to commit to using this technology? Mark Kennedy: The Wärtsilä Modular Block (WMB) is a pre-fabricated, modular solution that can be installed much more quickly than traditional “stick-build” power plants. Due to the modular nature of the WMB, the civil works and installation ENERGY AND MINES MAGAZINE
