Bellevue Gold has installed one of the world’s biggest off-grid arrays, with 24 megawatts (MW) of wind, 27 megawatts of solar and a 15 MW, 30 MWh battery, supported by 9 MW of diesel capacity and 15 MW of gas capacity. It has an average load of 12 MW from its mining and processing facilities.

“Renewable energy penetration is currently sitting comfortably at the upper end of the targeted renewable energy penetration rate of 80-90 per cent, and aligned to the forecast of being the most renewably powered off-grid mine in Australia,” the company said in a statement to the ASX on Thursday.

Bellevue Gold is one of a number of off-grid miners who are achieving high levels of renewables with their newly installed wind, solar and battery hybrid systems.

Even previously arch renewables critic Gina Rinehart has backed Liontown Resources with renewable penetration rates of over 80%.

As renewable technology improves more and more industries carn't help but come on on board.

Well, they probably had to do the renewable energy bow and scrape to get the mine approved. I've read of a number of those systems getting lots of problems and ending up running on diesel alone. The gas backup might be for when the diesel generator needs repairs or servicing.

Now here's a thought: SMRs could power mining operations and remote locations, so wouldn't that be a good reason to remove the nuclear ban, or doesn't cult leader Albo let you have an opinion beyond a vague notion that it could be part of the future? Such an accommodating chap your cult leader is.

Imagine how the raving anti-nuclear lunatics at the environmental departments would react to SMRs? New age Luddites for sure.

Ditch the grifters.

I'm sure that in many if not most operations some forms of renewables are being used, even just to power living areas, fridges and lighting, lithium batteries are getting cheap and the cost of bringing fuel to remote locations to run generators would be a constant and significant expense. It would be foolish not to be using renewables in some form.

Hi AC

"It would be foolish not to be using renewables in some form."

Yes they have appeal, but they also have to work. Did you know that the Waratah battery destroyed a transformer during a test to see whether it could cover the sudden power variations you get with wind and solar? I just checked on a hybrid system that was promoted with great fanfare a few years ago. Now it runs on diesel. I suspect that sudden large power variations that you get with intermittents have the potential to do a lot of harm.

You are I are members of the peanut gallery here, not secret party influencers, or part of the grifter lobby, which spent $177 million last year trying to convince the punters how wonderful renewables were.

I cannot understand why some want a nuclear ban when smrs could be an effective low carbon energy source for remote locations and mining operations.

Hi WTF,

With the anti-renewable mob now running with their pants on fire, could that be a new source of energy. After all they have transitioned from relying on hot air to now being reliant on their burning duds, to produce the heat to fire up dem boilers! How pathetic is this mob!

Hi Paul,

I'm not anti anything, but I do consider the challenges and economics of a wind and solar powered grid. I look at the 10 billion plus in annual taxpayer handouts and wonder how wind and solar are cheaper, yet power costs are soaring.

I think there is a nasty realisation that replacing coal generation with wind and solar is far more expensive and complex than the grifters led us to believe.

Remove the ban and ditch the grifters.