Kalgoorlie Super Pit: Zenith Energy signs on for Northern Star Resources’ big renewable power project

Zenith Energy has stepped in to develop a major renewable project in the Goldfields that will power Kalgoorlie’s famous Super Pit mine. The company — recently partly sold to private equity firm KKR — on Monday announced a 25-year deal to supply the electricity. The West Australian reported last month that gold miner Northern Star Resources had submitted plans for the large renewable project to the environmental regulator. Northern Star was proposing to install 256 megawatts of wind turbines, a 138MW solar farm and a battery with 300MW hours of storage. That would come with a price tag of $1 billion or more based on capital costs outlined in CSIRO’s GenCost report. Monday’s announcement will lock in Zenith to fund, build, own and operate the facility outside Kalgoorlie. The project is just the latest major move by WA’s biggest resources companies in the shift to renewable energy. Zenith Energy boss Hamish Moffat said the energy transition was taking place “at scale” in the Goldfields. “This renewable energy solution provides Northern Star with cost-effective power while having the future potential to improve energy reliability for Kalgoorlie,” he said. “Planned local content and collaboration with key community representatives will also make it a great example of a Just Energy Transition.” He said the Kalgoorlie mine would be a “blueprint” for modern mining energy supply. Australian solar system supplier 5B was locked in to deliver about 230,000 panels for the build while the local subsidiary of China’s Goldwind Australia will manufacture 32 wind turbines. Zenith has also contracted Wartsila for 10 dual-fuel — that is, gas and diesel — turbines to provide firming power. Adelaide based company RJE Global was picked to design and build the transmission lines. The companies hope the project will be in commissioning by mid-2027.