Copper mining company Kamoa Copper has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with CrossBoundary Energy for the provision of baseload renewable energy to the Kamoa-Kakula Copper mining complex, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Kenya-headquartered CrossBoundary will start construction of a 222 MW solar PV and 526 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in August, which will provide 30 MW of dispatchable renewable baseload energy to Kamoa Copper.

This will help offset fuel generators and reduce the mine’s carbon emissions by about 78 750 t/y.

While CrossBoundary will own and operate the plant, Kamoa Copper will pay for the energy it consumes.

The plant is expected to produce about 300 000 MWh/y of clean energy.

While many mines have incorporated solar PV and BESS into their operations, the supply of baseload energy – a guaranteed power output at all times – is rare for solar PV and BESS, as the sector has typically been cautious of intermittency, says CrossBoundary.

However, thanks to the increasing efficiency of solar PV and the declining cost of BESS components, a renewable baseload system is now viable and cheaper than the diesel generators currently providing power to the Kamoa-Kakula operation.

The operation is the largest of its kind in Africa, with copper production capacity of 600 000 t/y.

Kamoa Copper MD Annebel Oosthuizen says this is a pivotal moment for Kamoa Copper and the DRC. “As a company, Kamoa Copper has been setting innovative benchmarks in various domains and with this partnership on baseload renewable energy, we will continue to do so.”

CrossBoundary managing partner Matthew Tilleard comments that Africa’s most significant hindrance to growth and investment is access to reliable and affordable power.

“Projects like these prove that distributed clean energy can now provide cheaper baseload power, even for heavy industry,” he states.

CrossBoundary business development director Franck Alloghe adds that the agreement represents a change in energy supply for mining operations, indicating that diesel or heavy fuel oil generators are no longer the only viable option for guaranteed baseload power generation.

Kamoa Copper is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group and the government of the DRC.