The Agnew Gold Mine in Australia is located in the desert area near the Leinster gold mining area in the northern part of Western Australia. The underground ventilation system of the gold mine, the large starting motors of the beneficiation plant, as well as the peak demand for electricity production, all these factors make the requirements for power reliability and power supply quality extremely high for this mine.
1. Micro power station centered on gas-fired power generation
In 2019, this mine chose to adopt EDL's micro-grid technology as an alternative to the previous combination of electricity supply and rented diesel generators. The new solution deeply integrates a high proportion of renewable energy systems. The core equipment is 9 QSV91G lean gas generators. The composition of the equipment combination is as follows:
• Cummins QSV91G gas-powered generator: There are a total of 9 natural gas generators with a total installed capacity of 21 MW. They use pipeline natural gas and are supplied through a 25 km pipeline; diesel power serves as a backup for black start.
• Wind power: 18 MW (5 wind turbines)
• Solar photovoltaic: 4 MW
• Battery energy storage system (BESS): 13 MW / 4 MWh
II. System Deployment and Implementation
This project will be operational in two phases:
The first phase (July 2019) involves the construction of a 23 MW off-grid power station with the following components: 16 MW gas-fired, 4 MW solar photovoltaic, and 3 MW diesel;
The second phase (May 2020) completes the complete hybrid system (including new wind power and battery energy storage BESS).
It becomes the largest mining hybrid microgrid system in Australia, with a total installed capacity of 56 MW and a generating capacity of 47 MW. The long-term target for renewable energy penetration is 50–60%, and the actual first-year average reached 54.6% (with monthly peaks exceeding 58%). The annual power generation reaches 88–116 GWh, and the annual emission reduction is approximately 40,000–46,400 tons of CO₂-e. The reliability is 99.99%.
Tips: Penetration rate refers to the proportion of renewable energy in the total power generation. For example, if it reaches 54.6%, it means that the proportion of wind power and solar photovoltaic in the total power generation is 54.6%.
III. Analysis of the Application of Cummins QSV91G in the System
The most remarkable aspect of the Agnew Gold Mine project is that the Cummins QSV91G lean-burn gas generator set serves as the stable foundation of the entire project, is an optimized schedulable anchor point, making high penetration rate renewable energy possible in the desert environment, and solving the problems of fuel logistics and costs for remote mines.
Cummins Generator Set Configuration:
• 9 Cummins QSV91G lean-burn gas generator sets (each 2 MW, total 18 MW). Form the main thermal capacity. The selection reason: high environmental temperature adaptability (up to 45°C in the Western Australian desert), excellent step load acceptance ability, rapid power increase rate, and power quality guarantee under renewable energy fluctuations.
• 2 Cummins QSK60 diesel generator sets (each approximately 1.6 MW, total approximately 3.2 MW). Provide peak support and black start capability, which is the key guarantee in the completely off-grid mode.
The real-time operation interface of EDL (at 30 minutes on 6th April 2026.8)
IV. System Operation Logic
• Backup and inertia support: At least 2 gas turbines are kept online (approximately 4 MW minimum load) to maintain the stability of the microgrid.
• Load following and ramping: Gas turbines can operate efficiently below 50% load. However, when the output of renewable energy decreases, the generator output gradually ramps up. At the same time, the BESS system provides instantaneous buffering, allowing the sufficient time to complete startup/synchronization.
• Efficiency optimization: The system prioritizes the use of renewable energy, then adjusts the gas turbines to the optimal efficiency range to avoid inefficient idle operation. At the same time, it allows a single unit to be shut down for maintenance without affecting the power supply to the mine.
• Significant improvement in fuel logistics: Switching from traditional 100% diesel to gas pipeline transmission significantly reduces the fuel transportation logistics challenges in remote desert areas, saving costs by 10-13%.
• Quality power supply guarantee: BESS + gas turbines jointly address the large motor startup and load fluctuations in the beneficiation plant (daily 13MW, peak reaching 20MW). The BESS can act as an UPS when the last gas turbine trips.
What are the highlights of this project?
• This system has found a stable power solution among multiple fluctuating power supply units and provided power support for the future capacity expansion of Agnew Mine.
• The high initial installation cost has been offset by the low cost of renewable energy and the reduction in transportation costs. In the long run, this has lowered the operating costs of the mine.
• The reliability of off-grid self-generated power ensures continuous production.
• It aligns with the zero-carbon strategy of the Australian government and has won government support.
The Agnew case provides extremely valuable reference for solving the power supply problem in remote mining areas.