IGO has awarded an inaugural contract to Perenti and ABB to undertake a study for the full underground electrification of IGO’s Cosmos nickel project, which is located 30km north of Leinster in Western Australia.
IGO said that the electrification study is a significant step in its commitment to continuously improving sustainability performance by trialling new technologies and decarbonising its operations, helping to shape a green energy future.
Perenti previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ABB to collaborate to develop a service offering that combines Perenti’s mining expertise and technical capability with ABB’s electrical and technological expertise.
The study will see experts from Perenti and ABB work alongside with IGO to provide a pathway for the optimum design of mine electrification at the Cosmos mine.
All aspects of electrification will be considered in the study, which includes:
- mine design optimisation for electric operations
- production and operating philosophy
- fleet selection
- power distribution and electrical infrastructure design
- electrification system and battery management
- environmental, social and governance (ESG) and safety impact analysis
- cost modelling of both Capex and Opex
IGO head of technical services Chris Carr said the company believes in a green energy future for its underground mining operations, and it is excited about this collaboration with Perenti and ABB.
Perenti executive sponsor of decarbonisation Raj Ratneser said that valuing the environment and enabling the energy transition is one of the company’s three key sustainability imperatives.
“Decarbonisation and electrification are critical to the future of mining, and we are privileged to be working with our client IGO on this pioneering study,” Ratneser said.
ABB vice president and business line mining manager Max Luedtke congratulated IGO on taking on this project.
“The progress between ABB and Perenti is advancing every day and this study is an ideal opportunity to advance our efforts and collectively drive towards providing electric solutions that effectively decarbonise the mining industry,” Luedtke said.