Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) is investing in a 200 MW solar power plant designed to accelerate its decarbonization program in line with the Barrick Gold Corp.’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Roadmap. Barrick holds majority ownership and operates NGM.
NGM has partnered with First Solar to produce all modules necessary to support the 200 MW construction. This partnership will be entirely in the United States. NGM has committed 20% to reduce carbon emissions by 2025. This will be achieved through the 200 MW solar array construction and the conversion of NGM’s coal fired power plant to cleaner burning natural gas.
NGM has started detailed engineering and will begin construction in the third-quarter of 2022. First Solar modules will be delivered to the power plant in the first quarter of 2023. Both phase I and II are expected to be in commission by the project’s completion in early 2024.
“The project is the latest in a series of carbon-reducing initiatives across the group’s global operations,” says Grant Beringer, Barrick’s group sustainability executive. “The solar power plant will complement the transition of NGM’s coal power plant to a dual fuel process, which will enable it to generate electricity from natural gas, reducing carbon emissions by as much as 50 percent.”