Connect the existing controls.
Trace communication paths, verify equipment data and coordinate interfaces between the mine’s existing control platform and the new EMS.
BINDULI HYBRID POWER STATION · STAGE II
Keep the mine moving.
Run fewer generators.
Solar, battery storage and diesel generation. Engineered to work together at an operating mine in Western Australia.
See how it works ↓Kalgoorlie, WA / Norton Gold FieldsOff-grid mining · System integration & commissioning
3.2 MWSolar PV
2.5 MWBattery power / PCS
5 MWhBattery energy storage
11 kVExisting mine network
THE PROJECT IN A MINUTE
A new energy system.
Inside a working mine.
Binduli brings renewable generation and storage into an existing diesel-powered mining network.
Sunterra Energy’s role spans design, construction, project management, commissioning and diesel-generator control integration. The task goes beyond installing equipment: the new system has to respond to the mine’s real operating conditions.
Explore the engineering behind the project ↘THE OPERATING CHALLENGE
Heavy machinery starts.
Power demand jumps.
Diesel generators do more than supply energy. Extra units need to be online to support large machinery starting. That creates an opportunity for fast battery response.
EXISTING DIESEL OPERATING REQUIREMENT
4–5generators online
During normal operation
6–7generators online
When starting large machinery
THE GRID-FORMING OPPORTUNITY
About half.The number of generators
needed online.
With the PCS operating in grid-forming mode, the hybrid plant can reduce the number of diesel generators required to approximately half.
Fewer generators running creates an opportunity to reduce diesel consumption and fuel costs. It does not mean a 50% fuel saving; actual savings depend on operating conditions.
ONE COORDINATED POWER SYSTEM
Solar brings the energy.
Storage brings flexibility.
The energy management system coordinates new solar and storage with existing generation. Grid-forming PCS helps establish the electrical conditions the off-grid system needs.
EMS Monitoring & coordination
Solar PV3.2 MW · Stage II
Battery + PCS2.5 MW / 5 MWh
Diesel generationExisting power station
Operating mineExisting 11 kV network
Power paths EMS coordinates the equipment; power does not flow through it.
MAKE USE OF AVAILABLE SUNSHINE
Let solar carry more of the load.
Solar supplies part of the mine’s demand. The battery can absorb available surplus, while diesel generation is coordinated around load and operating reserve.
WHY IT MATTERS
Renewable energy can displace diesel-generated electricity when the mine can use it.
Conceptual operating scenarios, not live telemetry or measured power flows. Dispatch depends on load, solar availability, battery charge and reserve requirements.
THE ENGINEERING BEHIND THE OUTCOME
Installed is one thing.
Working together is another.
An existing mine brings established controls, multiple equipment suppliers and real production loads. Sunterra’s commissioning work connected those parts into a coordinated system.
Test the system under load.
Use staged energisation and grouped inverter tests to check power commands, storage response and recovery in the islanded network.
Verify how equipment responds.
Test communications at high output, check response to lost communications, and verify battery discharge stopping at its configured limit.
FROM THE COMMISSIONING RECORDSpecific tests.
Specific tests.
Observable results.
1 MW
Combined power command delivered to three PV inverters, with response confirmed in grouped testing.
Control response
PV output-to-zero on lost communications and battery stopping at its discharge limit were verified in site tests.
BUILT AROUND THE SITE
From red earth
to an integrated energy asset.
Delivery brought together civil works, solar construction, battery installation, medium-voltage interfaces and multi-supplier commissioning.
PROJECT DELIVERY
Sunterra Energy Pty Ltd — design, construction, project management, commissioning and diesel-generator control integration. Joint EPC delivery with Long King supplying equipment.
A CLOSER LOOK
What this project
means for your site.
Different sites need different designs. These are the questions worth asking first.
What does grid-forming mean here?
The battery’s power conversion system helps establish voltage and frequency for the local electrical network, instead of only following an existing grid reference. It is one part of the coordination between solar, storage and diesel generation.
Does this remove the need for diesel?
No. Binduli retains diesel generation within its hybrid power system. Storage and solar help reduce the number of generators needed online under suitable operating conditions; dispatch still needs to account for energy availability, load and reserve.
Does half the generator count mean half the fuel cost?
No. Generator count and fuel consumption are different measures. Fuel savings depend on generator loading, operating hours, solar output, battery use and fuel prices. A verified percentage requires operating data and a defined comparison baseline.
Can this approach work at another mine or industrial site?
Potentially. Assessment starts with the site’s load profile, existing generators, electrical network, controls and operating requirements. Binduli demonstrates integration experience; another site’s system size, savings and approvals require its own assessment.
YOUR NEXT ENERGY PROJECT
What could fewer running
generators mean for you?
Start with your site, your generation fleet and your operating priorities. Let’s explore where solar and storage could make a difference.