Syrah Resources, an industrial minerals and technology company, has announced that it has achieved full operations of its solar and battery hybrid system at its flagship Balama Graphite Operations in Mozambique
The system comprises of a 11.25 MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) array (incorporating 20,832 solar modules with a surface area of around 53,800 sq m) in combination with an 8.5MW/MWh battery energy storage system.
This system will contribute at least 35% of Balama’s average site power requirements, ultimately reducing diesel consumption and the associated carbon emissions as well as achieving cost savings. Capable of solely supplying Balama’s power requirements during peak daylight times, the system can do so continuously if the plant is not operating. If needed, the sites diesel power generation plant will provide baseload power requirements overnight and incremental power during daylight hours considering power availability from the solar and battery hybrid system as well as overall site power demand.
A new automated power management system has also been introduced to oversee the solar and battery hybrid system and diesel gensets that make up the diesel plant for optimised integrated power generation at Balama.
The new system has already been displaying its prowess; in operational testing across 10 days during the site’s recent production campaign, integrated power supply was achieved with 33% of the total power draw supplied by the solar and battery hybrid system.
In addition, 34% average savings in diesel consumed per KWh power generated was achieved and an improvement was also recorded in the stability and efficiency of the diesel gensets. The solar and battery hybrid system powered the plant and wider site for an average eight hours per day during daylight hours.
Syrah worked with Solarcentury Africa in engineering, procurement and construction and commissioning of the solar and battery hybrid system and is under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) arrangement. This included a ten-year lease and an operating and maintenance contract with a Mozambique incorporated project company owned by CrossBoundary Energy, the project financier.
Syrah managing director and CEO, Shaun Verner, commented, “The achievement of full operations of the solar and battery hybrid system is the culmination of extensive feasibility study, equipment procurement, construction and commissioning activities completed by the Syrah team, Solarcentury Africa and CrossBoundary Energy over several years. The solar & battery system delivers significant net operating cost savings, reduces our exposure to volatile, high diesel costs and further strengthens the ESG credentials of Balama’s natural graphite products. We look forward to continuing to work with CBE through the operating lease term.”
