Seawind News
26/02/2010 - The El Toqui Wind Farm Project
Seawind brings more clean energy to the mining industry!
Following its successful installation and operation of a 2MW prototype wind turbine at the Barrick Veladero mine, Seawind is again adding wind power as an economical and clean power source for a mining client.
In December 2008, Seawind entered into discussion with the visionary Breakwater Resources organisation, a Canadian mining company which operates the El Toqui mine in the XI region of Chile. The El Toqui mine is powered by a mix of hydropower and Diesel generators and was looking at ways to reduce its energy costs, as well as reduce its environmental impact.
Seawind carried out desktop resource assessments and installed measurement equipment in February 2009, confirming the potential for wind power in June 2009. Detailed design, equipment analysis and engineering followed and in October 2009, Seawind and El Toqui signed an agreement for the delivery of a 1.65 megawatt turnkey wind power project. The wind turbines will provide the mine with a minimum of 5.5 GWh per year, considerably offsetting Diesel requirements and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. El Toqui is also undertaking the necessary steps to register the project under the Clean Development Mechanism and certify the carbon emissions reduction.
The turbine equipment was selected following consideration of the remoteness of the site and a thorough analysis of the isolated grid system. The six turbines of 275kW each are able to achieve a high contribution of wind power to the energy requirements at the mine, and it is possible to add more turbines in future, should El Toqui wish to expand the array.
Seawind will deliver the project in a very short time frame, with construction on site starting in December 2009 and energy delivery to the grid will occur by April 2010. The completion date is critical as weather conditions at the site from May onwards will not allow any construction activities to take place. In order to achieve this date, Seawind will start shipping turbine equipment from Europe from November onwards to start arriving at site before the end of December 2009.
Seawind will also operate and maintain the wind farm for at least five years, using local employees to support the operational requirements for the project. A special resource centre will be established locally and people will be trained in Europe and at site to allow interventions to be undertaken efficiently and safely. This is part of Seawind's global policy and commitment to ensure that the local community benefits as much as possible from the establishment of wind power projects.