A breath of fresh air for Agnew Gold Mine. Minetek provides sustainable ventilation solutions powered by renewable energy.

Gold Fields’ Agnew Mine located just 30km from Leinster, Western Australia is in the Northern Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone Belt. The remote Agnew Mine site houses the Waroonga and New Holland underground mines are situated in the Goldfields-Esperance region. Both mines have been operational since the 1880s and have seen a resurgence in production over the past decade, producing 232,000oz in 2021 and 240,000oz of gold in 2022 [1].??

Forward-thinking Agnew Gold Mine is evolving into Australia’s first mining operation powered predominately by renewable energy [2].??

Agnew started on this journey in 2019 with a $13.5 million dollar loan secured from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) assisting with funding. ARENA CEO Darren Millar stated, “The project Gold Fields is undertaking will provide a blueprint for other companies to deploy similar off-grid energy solutions and demonstrate a pathway for commercialisation, helping to decarbonise the mining and resources sector” [3]. The microgrid project was completed in May 2020 in conjunction with EDL Energy delivering up to 85% of the mine's power requirements with renewable energy (in favourable weather conditions) [5].?

Their on-site hybrid renewable microgrid assists with decarbonisation, saving Agnew up to 40,000 tonnes of CO2-e between May 2020 – April 2021 [4]. Between 50 – 60% of the energy Gold Fields Agnew consumes daily is s explicitly generated from renewable energy with a capacity of 56MW and 99.9% energy reliability. The Agnew mine site is quickly becoming a benchmark for environmentally friendly green mines as the mining industry pivots towards a more sustainable future to meet net-zero targets. Minetek has helped to enable the Agnew Mine’s long-term vision with proactive measures to support their sustainable mining transition and Social Corporate Responsibility.??

Carbon neutral underground ventilation.??

The Agnew Gold Mine required a complete ventilation upgrade to meet Life Of Mine (LOM) requirements and future proof the mine for continued production, mine extensions and brownfield exploration in under-explored sections of the tenements. This Western Australian mine was experiencing challenges with the volume flowrate of its existing primary ventilation circuit. Debottlenecking the ventilation shaft was required to achieve their goal of increased production and expanded exploration, whilst meeting Agnew’s carbon neutral Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy.?

Minetek was commissioned to assist Agnew Gold Mine to achieve its long-term vision and requirements by developing a turn-key underground ventilation solution . This included a Primary Booster Fan with the full scope, including removing redundant equipment and installing the new fans. This solution was an Australian first for a fan of this combined size and technology, all running off Agnew’s renewable grid network. Discover the full case study by requesting a free PDF copy.?

Green mine ventilation solution.?

Gold Field’s Agnew Mine favoured a low energy, high volume ventilation solution with a required energy output of 1,100kW / 1,000 V and a flow rate of 280 m3/sec at a pressure of 3,700 Pa; to meet current production needs. To allow for ongoing and future development, the Primary Booster fan required a maximum airflow capability of 350 m3/sec at a pressure of 4,200 Pa. Minetek’s Performance On Demand (POD) technology enables seamless operation with adaptable pressure and power consumption without Variable Speed Drive (VSD) controls. Our impulse bladed impeller controls the POD system with anti-stall technology capturing turbulent air flow and unstable pre-swirls, to ensure optimal fan performance.??

Due to their size, Minetek fans had to be tested before shipping, approval had to be granted from the Power Supply Authorities, and all other facilities in the Minetek complex had to be shut down to provide enough power. The performance of the Primary Booster fans was tested in Minetek’s fan testing chamber which is the largest fan test chamber in the southern hemisphere – built to conform with AMCA standards; we can simulate the most challenging conditions in any underground mining scenario.?

Minetek engineers and key personnel worked tirelessly to ensure project goals were achieved within a tight timeframe. The old equipment was removed, and new fans were commissioned and installed in just four days. We originally anticipated this project to be completed within 10 shifts however due to seamless project management the turn-key installation was completed in only 7 shifts.??

Minetek fan features.??

Engineered with the mining industry at the forefront, Minetek’s High Output Axial Primary Booster Fans are robust and reliable solution with a broad operating range. Our cutting-edge steel fabricated impeller allows for operation at pressures previously thought impossible with prolonged life, in even the harshest of environments.?

Primary Booster Fan Specifications?

• Power range -?1100 kW (kilowatts) / 1,000 V (volts)?
• Volume flowrate - 350 m3/sec (cubic metres per second) / 742,000 CFM (cubic feet per minute)?
• Pressure - 4,200 Pa (pascals) / 16.9 in.wg (inch of water)?

Minetek’s powerful single speed fans, have been proven to reduce power consumption costs by up to 50% with regulation from the integrated POD system. In comparison to traditional larger fans, Minetek’s compact units have the capability to outperform larger alternatives and then be re-deployed quickly and easily to other locations as the mine workings evolve. Underground operations can reduce on capital costs with less fans required to meet volume flow rates and pressure requirements. Achieve safe, reliable operations while delivering guaranteed reductions in power consumption and increased profitability, assisting green mines achieve net-zero emission targets.?

Minetek has expanded with a new operations hub located in Perth, servicing the Western Australian (WA) Mining regions. Our world-class service has expanded to meet the demand & responsiveness needed to support our clients. Our technical team is now close by and readily available to help your site. Contact Minetek online by email [email protected] or via 1300 963 801 to learn more about our mining solutions & servicing capabilities.??

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Resources??

1. https://www.goldfields.com/pdf/investors/presentation/2022/australia-site-visit-nov-2022-agnew.pdf ??
2. https://edlenergy.com/project/agnew/ ??
3. https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/arena-agnew-gold-mine/ ??
4. https://www.goldfields.com/pdf/investors/social-media/2022/newsflash-agnew-hybrid-project.pdf ?
5. https://edlenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/EDL-Fact-Sheet-Agnew-Hybrid-Renewable-Microgrid.pdf ?