POWER FOR MINES
2017-2020, thanks to
mining investments,
increased food
production and
electricity service.
“This is a significant
proof of confidence for
Wärtsilä in West
Africa,” comments
Arnaud Gouet,
Regional Director, West
Africa, Wärtsilä Energy
Solutions. “Wärtsilä is
a trusted partner to
AngloGold Ashanti at
Siguiri mine where we operate the power
generation enabling them to focus on their
mining operation.”
“We selected Wärtsilä for the new power plant
at our Geita mine in Tanzania in 2016 and have
again selected Wärtsilä for our Siguiri project as
we have full trust in Wärtsilä's technology and in
their understanding of the criticality of power
generation in the operation of such a gold mine,”
says Dale Bates, Project Manager, CAR Projects,
AngloGold Ashanti.
Nearby, Gold Fields Ghana is switching the
source of energy supply for its mining operations
in the Western Region of the country from the
national grid to privately generated electricity by
the end of the third quarter.
With this Siguiri project, Wärtsilä will
have over 6,800 MW of installed
capacity on the African continent
to AngloGold Ashanti's gold mine in Siguiri,
Guinea. This turnkey project consists of three 20-
cylinder Wärtsilä 32TS engines running on heavy
fuel oil. They will be connected to the existing
power plant at site, also supplied by Wärtsilä.
The extension is expected to be operational
during the second half of 2018 and the total
power output at site will be 30.4 MW.
Siguiri, a multiple open-pit oxide gold mine
and the largest gold mine in Guinea, is AngloGold
Ashanti's sole operation in the country.
AngloGold Ashanti holds an 85% interest in
Siguiri with the balance of 15% being held by the
Government of Guinea. After two difficult years,
the Guinean economy is recovering, with an
average projected growth of 5% over the period
The switch over is the outcome of a special
arrangement between the company and
independent power producer (IPP), Genser
Energy Ghana, that will spare some 18 MW of
power for the national grid while insulating the
company's operations from the erratic power
supply.
The company's Vice President and Head of
Stakeholder Relations, David Johnson, explained
that the new arrangement will result in the
generation of 20 MW of electricity each in the
Tarkwa and Damang mines within the first two
years. Later, the amount of power generated
could be raised depending on the growth profiles
of the two mines, Johnson explained.
The two mines currently consume a total of 55
MW, with the Tarkwa operations, one of the
biggest surface mines in West Africa, consuming
38 MW and Damang 17 MW.
The production of 20 MW each in the two
mines, therefore, means that Gold Fields can
spare a total of 15 MW of electricity for the
national grid, which can then be redistributed
among new and existing customers of the
national power supplier, the Electricity Company
of Ghana (ECG).
Beyond shielding the company's operations
from the erratic power supply, Johnson said it
would also save cost as the alternative power to
the grid was comparatively less costly.
For the Damang installation, Centrax Gas
Your
complete source
for
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