Our Correspondent | Africa Guardian
In 2018, B2Gold made waves at the Otjikoto mine in Namibia by installing a 6MW solar power facility, a first for many African mining operations. This solar installation, which includes a battery energy storage system (BESS), now accounts for roughly 13% of the mine’s electricity needs, according to the company.
Ken Jones, B2Gold’s Director of Sustainability, explains that the motivation behind this initiative was driven by the need to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. “Climate risk management is the primary goal,” he says. “You can’t decarbonize your operations until you clean up your electricity generation.”
Historically, B2Gold and other mining companies in remote African regions have depended on heavy fuel oil (HFO) plants to power their operations. However, with the shift to solar energy, B2Gold has been able to place its HFO plant at Otjikoto on care and maintenance while connecting to Namibia’s electricity grid in 2023. The company is also expanding its solar investment to its Fekola mine in Mali, where solar power and storage are expected to meet around 30% of the mine’s energy needs.
Jones emphasizes the reliability of solar power in these operations. “These solar installations have not only met expectations but have actually exceeded our projections and models,” he says.
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