Hybrid power optimisation for higher renewable penetration

As miners work towards 100% renewable power, understanding the unique load requirements of each site is crucial. So is the integration of the many different power elements a mine may use to decarbonise its operations. Mark Kennedy, Business Development Manager, Energy Solutions at Wärtsilä Canada, believes energy management systems (EMS) hold the key to hybrid power plant optimisation. In this article, he shares his insights on current hybrid performance, barriers yet to overcome, and the potential role of hydrogen in the power mix.

Energy and Mines: There has been an acceleration in the last 6 months of project announcements for renewables and storage for mines — is this the new normal, what barriers to further penetration are being overcome?

Mark Kennedy: The economic barriers are increasingly being overcome. The cost of renewables continues to make better economic sense than fossil fuel generation, particularly in light of carbon taxes in many jurisdictions. Similarly, battery energy storage has also been getting cheaper as the technology becomes more mature and in greater demand. Energy storage is allowing for greater utilisation of wind and solar. Finally, the technology that integrates renewables, batteries and thermal power, such as our GEMS Energy management software, is becoming more widely used to manage the complex integration of these different energy sources in an optimal way.

E&M: What are the key steps for creating the optimal path towards a 100% renewable energy system for a mine?

MK: Every mine site is different and will have a different path towards 100% clean energy. The key steps are to first deeply understand the facilities load and available energy sources. In projects where we have seen the highest penetration of renewables there has been a strong wind, solar or hydro resource combined with a large build-out of energy storage and an openness towards alternative fuels such as biofuels or hydrogen.

E&M: How are current hybrid projects performing and can you share any details of new projects with mining operators?

MK: Wärtsilä hybrids are performing well and reducing fossil fuel consumption significantly. The Essakane project saves 6 million litres of fuel per year and at Fekola mine, 13 million litres of fuel. There have been several new projects such as the recently announced project with Zenith Energy in Australia where our hybrid systems will help islanded mines to decarbonise yet maintain high reliability.

E&M: What are some of the recent developments for optimising the energy mix and performance of hybrids for mines?

MK: Continuous improvements and developments in the Energy Management System software, which is basically the brain of the system, is where we are seeing better opportunities for optimisation. Smarter dispatch functionality is enabling greater efficiency in the overall system, especially the interplay between renewables and battery storage. Wärtsilä continues to develop its GEMS software platform, adding greater speed and functionality.

E&M: What role do you see for hydrogen as part of mining’s power decarbonisation pathway?

MK: Hydrogen will be another extremely important part of the decarbonisation puzzle. Wärtsilä gensets can already accept hydrogen blends in our natural gas engine portfolio. We have a roadmap to 100% hydrogen in Wärtsilä’s large medium speed engines, with millions of dollars being spent on R&D. To make the switch to hydrogen there also needs to be a build out in hydrogen infrastructure to make the fuel more widely available. This should play out in the next few years and will be another compliment to hybrids, renewables and energy storage.