SOLARRESERVE
®
BASELOAD SOLAR Power
Improving Mining Economics with Predictable Energy Costs
UNDERSTANDING THE POWER REQUIREMENTS OF
THE MINING INDUSTRY
Mining operations, particularly those operating off-grid, have a unique set of
requirements for power supply. SolarReserve has developed a suite of solutions for
the mining industry with those requirements in mind, delivering significant savings
and predictable energy costs to mining operations around the globe that are cost
competitive with conventional energy sources.
Reliable 24/7 Baseload Supply
Mines operate 24 hours a day, practically every day
of the year. Mining operators expect full reliability and
availability from their power systems, with very low
tolerance for outages or shortfalls. Most mines operate
at a 70% to 90% annual load factor relative to their peak
load, but peak loads can occur at any time of day in any
season. Due to their inherent variability, most renewable
technologies, like photovoltaic panels (PV) and wind,
can only address a small fraction of the mine’s energy
needs, and are not reliable enough for off-grid power.
However, by using fully integrated molten salt storage,
SolarReserve offers Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)
solutions that are as reliable and available as conventional technologies, but fueled by the sun.
Energy Security
An off-grid mine has no backup from a utility transmission system; so there are no capabilities to obtain
reserve power, system inertia, voltage support, or other
grid services. The mine’s power source must supply all
of these attributes itself. The nearest transmission line
or natural gas pipeline may be hundreds of kilometers
away. Even when a transmission grid exists nearby, it
may be too fragile and unreliable. SolarReserve’s power
plants, with the right combination of solar energy storage
and steam generation, can operate in isolation and
provide all of these services seamlessly through dedicated
supply to the mine, and with minimum reliance on fuels
like diesel or natural gas.
Fuel Abatement
Supplying diesel to a remote mine can be a very
expensive proposition since it is typically trucked to a
mine over long distances. Natural gas supply can also
be very expensive, given the cost of building pipelines
to remote areas. Energy supply is typically around 25%
of a mine’s operating costs and fossil fuel based,
which increases the risks from carbon tax regulations,
environmental permitting, and fuel price volatility.
Solar energy can significantly reduce cost and reduce
risk. Integrating storage for a fully baseload solar supply
will eliminate fuel risk while still reducing costs, improving competitiveness, and enhancing sustainability.
Lower Energy Costs while
Focusing on Minerals
Mining companies are focused on the resources.
The changing landscape around carbon emissions
and renewable energy creates challenges that are best
managed by working with an experienced partner. That’s
why SolarReserve offers complete turnkey solutions for
energy supply, so that our customers can focus on
their core business activities.
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REAL SOLUTIONS FOR MINING COMPANIES
SolarReserve offers mining companies the most reliable baseload solar generation on
the planet, enabled by our industry leading CSP and molten salt storage technology.
Solar Solutions for Predictable,
Cost Effective Power
SolarReserve’s products minimize fuel use and thereby
reduce exposure to volatile fuel prices. The degree of
fuel abatement varies based on the size and scope of
the solution: a smaller solar project can offset a portion of
fuel consumption, while a larger project can fully replace
conventional power infrastructure, eliminating the need
for the mine to build its own fuel supply, power plant or
transmission line.
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The Complete Power Supply
Package, Customized
SolarReserve offers an end-to-end energy supply solution, which includes suitability assessment, technology
configuration, permitting support, finance and EPC
management, and ongoing power plant operations or
operational support. The energy supply agreement
can be structured such that all technologies are integrated
behind the fence at SolarReserve’s facility, or SolarReserve
can transfer control of the assets to the mine operator. In
either case, the mine will enjoy a guaranteed fixed price
of energy for the life of the project.
SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS FOR MINES
SolarReserve configures custom solutions based on the generating capacity, load factor,
solar resource, level of fuel reduction, grid power availability, and degree of power
infrastructure replacement desired.
CSP: M-Class and
S-Class Solutions
Integrated Hybrid
Power Plants
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) with
Integrated Molten Salt Energy Storage
SolarReserve can seamlessly integrate CSP, photovoltaic panels (PV), and fossil fuel. These components are
fully integrated within SolarReserve’s facility, such that
the mine would only see the consistent and responsive
power supply to suit its needs. Thus SolarReserve offers
fully reliable power on par with traditional generation, but
sustainable, and at a lower cost.
SolarReserve holds the world’s leading, patented, and
most advanced large-scale solar thermal technology
available today. Our molten salt tower receiver with
integrated thermal energy storage leads the CSP
industry in terms of efficiency, reliability, and cost.
Increasing Economies of Scale
MW (Capacity) Size
Solution Set
200
S-Class
50
M-Class
S-Class
+ PV
M-Class
+ PV
20
PV
10
S-Class
+ PV
+ Fuel
S-Class
+ Fuel
M-Class .
+ PV
+ Fuel
PV + Fuel
0-30%
30-50%
Low to Medium Penetration
50-80%
80-90%
Substantial Fuel
Abatement
100%
Infrastructure
Replacement
Scope (Capacity Factor) of Solution
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50-200 MW CSP S-Class Configuration
20-50 MW CSP M-Class Configuration
Both S-Class and M-Class CSP designs offer fully integrated molten salt storage.
All of SolarReserve’s CSP projects are also capable of providing a mine with
process heat or steam in addition to power generation.
CSP: M-Class and
S-Class Solutions
SolarReserve’s disruptive CSP technology delivers a
cost-effective, reliable and most importantly, a nonintermittent baseload (24x7) supply of electricity that
is critical to mining operations. End-to-end system solutions from tens to hundreds of megawatts are available
for both on and off grid mines, with the ability to operate
at a high capacity factor and availability percentage
equal to that of a fossil fired power plant.
M-Class
SolarReserve’s M-Class is configured specifically for
smaller off-grid mines in remote locations. The M-Class
offers a half cylindrical receiver with a 180° heliostat field
(north of the tower in the northern hemisphere, south of
the tower in the southern hemisphere.) The M-Class is
also faster to construct than the S-Class and due to the
field geometry is more easily integrated with conventional power generation. Typical M-Class projects deliver
200-400 GWh per year at 20-50 MW of capacity depending
on the configuration.
S-Class
SolarReserve’s S-Class is the company’s traditional
configuration, as deployed at the Crescent Dunes Solar
Energy Plant in Nevada, USA. The S-Class is characterized by a cylindrical receiver and 360° heliostat field. It
is the largest and most cost-effective CSP configuration
with molten salt storage commercially available today.
S-Class projects typically deliver 500-700 GWh per year at
a capacity of 50-200 MW depending on the configuration.
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Integrated Hybrid
Power Plants
Full Reliability through Fuel
Integration
SolarReserve’s CSP technology with solar energy storage
can typically offer a capacity factor of 80%-90% from solar energy alone, depending on the strength and consistency of the sunlight. For full 100% availability in off-grid
scenarios, a relatively small amount of fossil fuel can be
used on cloudy days. The most cost-effective fuel integration strategy usually involves burning fuel (typically diesel)
to heat the salt; which still results in a dramatic reduction
in fuel use, but also allows the CSP plant’s steam turbine
to run at full capacity on fossil fuel if needed. Alternatively,
depending on the duty cycle, auxiliary boilers or reciprocating engines can be incorporated economically. An
in-depth model of the mine’s load factor can demonstrate
which technology solution is optimal and what fuel quantity
is used in this application.
PV SOLAR POWER FOR
FUEL ABATEMENT
For smaller mines, SolarReserve offers PV to be integrated into the existing infrastructure (typically diesel-fired
reciprocating engines) in order to reduce operating costs
and CO2 emissions as well as dependence on diesel
fuel. SolarReserve can provide the control system, any
required energy storage, EPC management, and performance guarantees necessary to seamlessly integrate
the PV operations into the mine’s energy management
system, reducing fuel use during the daytime. We can
guarantee permanent system stability and ensure smooth
control of the electricity generation.
CSP + PV Configuration delivers capacity factor of
up to 90%
CSP + PV + Fuel Configuration delivers capacity
factor of up to 100%
SolarReserve is the leader in commercially proven and financeable molten salt
power tower systems.
Hybrid Solutions
Hot molten salt provides the
steady source of fuel and
basis for controllable power
generation 24/7
Supplemental dual fuel
heaters with smart dispatch to
add heat to molten salt during
times of low solar resources
PV system provides
low-cost daytime generation
Steam turbine generator
systems to provide stable
and efficient electrical
output
Highly reliable power
output capable of fully
base-loaded operations
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PARTNERING WITH SOLARRESERVE
Experience and Capabilities
SolarReserve is a leading global developer of largescale solar power projects and advanced solar thermal
technology, with $500 million of projects in operation and
$1.3 billion of projects in construction around the world. A seasoned management team is the driving force
behind SolarReserve’s success. Our executives have
built more than 15,000 MW and financed more than $15
billion in energy projects around the world, from within
organizations including GE, Bechtel, AECOM, Moser
Baer, Invenergy, Rolls-Royce, Enron and Rocketdyne,
among others. At SolarReserve, our team has assembled an extensive 5,000 MW worldwide development
portfolio of large-scale solar projects including both CSP
and PV technology. SolarReserve maintains valuable
relationships with equipment suppliers, construction
companies, and financial institutions capable of delivering successful projects anywhere in the world.
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Flexible Financing Structure and Scope
SolarReserve has a proven ability to create value by
structuring financing and ownership to meet our client’s
needs. We offer power purchase agreements to minimize their upfront investment, or asset sale and transfer
agreements to put the control in their hands. We also
participate as an equity partner for shared ownership
of a renewable energy facility.
Demonstrated Track Record
Our track record includes successfully developing new technologies and deploying solar energy
systems in new markets. SolarReserve has successfully commercialized the leading technology
that efficiently stores solar energy; our 110 MW Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant in Nevada is
the world’s first utility-scale molten salt power tower.
CRESCENT DUNES SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT
Location: Nevada, USA
Size: 110 MW
Storage: 10 hours full load storage
Electricity Production: More than 500,000 MW-hours annually
Power Purchaser: 25-year power sales agreement with NV Energy
LESEDI SOLAR POWER PROJECT
Location: Kimberley, South Africa
Size: 75 MW
Electricity Production: More than 150,000 MW-hours annually
Power Purchaser: 20-year power sales agreement with Eskom
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In addition to the company’s flagship CSP project in the U.S., the SolarReserve team is adept at
developing large scale projects internationally including three PV projects totaling 246 MW-DC of
generation capacity in South Africa: the Lesedi, Letsatsi and Jasper Projects.
SolarReserve also has projects in various stages of development in other markets including the
Middle East, South America, Africa, Australia, China, India, and Central America.
JASPER SOLAR POWER PROJECT
Location: Kimberley, South Africa
Size: 96 MW
Electricity Production: More than 180,000 MW-hours annually
Power Purchaser: 20-year power sales agreement with Eskom
LETSATSI SOLAR POWER PROJECT
Location: Bloemfontein, South Africa
Size: 75 MW
Electricity Production: More than 150,000 MW-hours annually
Power Purchaser: 20-year power sales agreement with Eskom
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SOLARRESERVE
®
CONTACT US
SolarReserve
UK Office
SolarReserve
Las Vegas Office
SolarReserve
Des Moines Office
SolarReserve
New York City Office
SolarReserve
Headquarters
Santa Monica, CA
SolarReserve
Istanbul Office
SolarReserve
Madrid Office
SolarReserve
Dubai Office
SolarReserve
Santiago Office
SolarReserve
Johannesburg Office
SolarReserve
Perth Office
Indicates areas of primary focus
For more information, contact
mining@solarreserve.com
Corporate Headquarters
2425 Olympic Blvd.
Suite 500
East Santa Monica, CA 90404
Phone: +1.310.315.2200
Toll-Free: +1.866.622.2778
Fax: +1.310.315.2201
info@solarreserve.com
European Office
C/Fernando el Santo, 17 Madrid, Spain 28010
Phone: +34 913514945
South African Office
Office 11C, 11th Floor, SinoSteel Plaza
159 Rivonia Rd
Sandton, Gauteng
South Africa
2196
Phone: +27 11 582 6880
Fax: +27 11 7847549
Copyright © 2014 SolarReserve. All Rights Reserved.
Australian Office
Level 18, Central Park 152-158 St. Georges Terrace
Perth, WA 6000
Phone: +61-428-928-894
Chilean Office
Rosario Norte 532, Oficina 504
7561185 Las Condes
Santiago de Chile
Phone: +562-2955-8450
UAE Office
DIC - Building 5
1st Floor, Suites 122 & 123, P.O. Box 500429
Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai, UAE
Phone: +971(0)559600831