Xstrata Copper North Queensland.pdf - Mount Isa Mines

Environmental performance
Case study
Installation of solar
panels in Mount Isa
At Xstrata Mount Isa Mines, we recognise that the future
impacts of climate change including increased regulation,
higher energy costs, and physical impacts such as drought
and flooding, present a risk to our operations.
We are committed to a process of continuous, proactive environmental
improvement. Emissions monitoring, control and impact reduction strategies
are a major component of environmental management at our operations
in north Queensland. In 2010 we implemented a solar panels initiative in
Mount Isa that demonstrates our leadership in environmental performance.
The initiative involved the installation of 96 Solar PV systems that have
155 kilowatts of total generating capacity. The solar panels will provide
renewable electricity supply to apartments in the Xstrata Parkside
accommodation complex used by Xstrata Mount Isa Mines for employee
and contractor accommodation. The panels will provide export power to
the local electricity grid at times when the apartments are not occupied.
Pieter Swart, Environment Manager North Queensland said the installation
of the solar panels highlights to Queensland communities the benefits of
renewable energy.
“These solar panels provide clean energy for our apartment complex in
Mount Isa and demonstrate the effectiveness of solar technology to
communities in north west Queensland,” said Pieter.
“Other environmental benefits include reduced use of fossil fuel generated
electricity, reduced carbon dioxide emissions and lower energy costs.
“Again, this highlights to our local community and other stakeholders our
commitment to investing in renewable energy and the process of proactive
environmental improvement,” he said.
The installation will have metering of power generated by the solar panels to
provide quantifiable results. The data will also be used for community promotion
of and education about solar energy. It is estimated that this initiative will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 500 kilograms of CO 2 -e per day.
The solar panels initiative will be eligible to create renewable energy certificates
in accordance with the Australian Government’s renewable energy target
scheme. In this way the project is supported by government, as well as
through policies to encourage solar installations on households such as
solar feed in tariffs.
The installation of the solar panels was completed in December 2010
and will operate indefinitely. Xstrata invested more than $900,000 on
the implementation of this initiative.
Top: Kevin Lu – Electrical Engineer, and Bruce Valentine – Engineering
Superintendent, inspect a section of the solar panel installation at
Mount Isa Mines’ Parkside Accommodation
Left: Solar panel installation at Mount Isa Mines’ Parkside Accommodation
Sustainability Report 2010 85