In Canada, Raglan’s Director of Strategy, Projects and Public Affairs, Jean-Francois Verret, provided the latest update on the mine’s innovative wind-storage project for its northern Quebec site. With innovative storage technologies, the penetration level of the wind turbine can increase up to 35-55%.

With the aim of reducing diesel costs, the mine is installing a unique energy system incorporating a 3MW wind turbine and a test bed of three energy storage technologies - a flywheel, batteries and a hydrogen storage loop. If the project goes well, the mine will consider installing additional turbines that could generate 9-12MW, slashing diesel consumption by 40%.

“Design first and then assess. A pilot lets you understand and train your people. And when you understand your risk profile, then you can go with a larger scale,” said a director in an interview.

Raglan Mine is considering installing additional wind turbines that could generate a total of 9 to 12 MW of energy, slashing the mine’s overall diesel consumption by 40%.