Australia (Commonwealth Union) _ In a power purchase deal that will help support four large-scale renewable energy projects, Australia’s largest mining corporation will power its coal operations with wind and solar energy.
Accordingly, BHP will purchase wind and solar energy from CleanCo, a government-owned renewable energy supplier, to power up to 50% of its coal facilities in Queensland by 2030. CleanCo purchases renewable energy and resells it to major industrial and commercial clients.
Caval Ridge mine is owned by BHP. The miner aims to attain net zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and significant elements of the company’s operations are being restructured to reach this goal. It has offtake agreements with the Dulacca and MacIntyre wind farms in Queensland, as well as the Western Downs solar farm.
CleanCo also has a capacity purchase agreement with Neoen’s Kaban wind hub in North Queensland, under which it will buy 100% of the electricity generated by the hub. Geraldine Slattery, president of BHP Australia, stated that the collaboration with CleanCo would boost BHP’s long-term sustainability while also benefiting regional communities and jobs.
The four projects need 1500 construction workers, with Dulacca set to open in late 2023 and MacIntyre set to open in 2025. “We are increasing renewable electricity at BMA in line with our decarbonization commitments to 2030 and beyond,” added Ms Slattery.
Geraldine Slattery, president of BHP Australia, is pushing the firm to decarbonize its activities. He said, “We expect demand for Queensland’s higher-quality metallurgical coal to remain strong for many years to come, as major steelmakers look to reduce their emissions intensity while delivering the steel needed to support global population growth and decarbonization infrastructure.”
BHP has a purchasing deal with CleanCo that will now be extended until the end of 2030. The miner aims to attain net zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and significant elements of the company’s operations are being restructured to reach this goal. In August, the firm reached an agreement with Toyota Australia to electrify its 5000-vehicle fleet. BHP and Mitsubishi jointly operate seven coal mines in Central Queensland.
Mining has historically been a key primary sector activity in Australia, contributing to the Australian economy through export revenue, royalty payments, and employment. Mining booms, particularly the gold rushes of the 1850s, have historically supported population increase through immigration to Australia. Many different ores, jewels, and minerals have been mined in the past and continue to be mined across the country.
In 2019, Australia was the world’s largest producer of iron ore and bauxite, the second largest producer of gold, manganese, and lead, the third largest producer of zinc, cobalt, and uranium, the fifth largest producer of salt, the sixth largest producer of copper and nickel, the eighth largest producer of silver and tin, the fourteenth largest producer of prostate, and the fifteenth largest producer of sulfur. In addition, the country is a major producer of precious stones.
Australia is the world’s greatest producer of opal, as well as a major producer of diamond, ruby, sapphire, and jade. In terms of nonrenewable energy, the country was the 30th largest producer of oil in the world in 2020, with 351.1 thousand barrels per day extracted. In 2019, the country consumed 1 million barrels per day (ranking 20th in the world).
In 2019, the country consumed 1 million barrels per day (ranking 20th in the globe). In 2018, the country was the world’s 20th largest oil importer (461.9 thousand barrels per day). Australia was the world’s 12th largest producer of natural gas in 2015, with 67.2 billion m3 produced per year. In 2019, the country was the 22nd largest gas user (41.9 billion m3 per year) and the world’s 10th largest gas exporter (34.0 billion m3 per year) in 2015. In terms of coal output, the country ranked fourth in the world in 2018 with 481.3 million tons. Australia is also the world’s second largest coal exporter (387 million tons in 2018).
