The project’s purpose is to deliver additional firming capability in the supply of electricity to the operations of SIMEC Mining and Liberty Primary Steel in the Whyalla region, and to provide surplus electricity to the grid via SIMEC ZEN Energy.
Report extract
1.1.1 Purpose
The project’s purpose is to deliver additional firming capability in the supply of electricity to the operations of SIMEC Mining and Liberty Primary Steel in the Whyalla region, and to provide surplus electricity to the grid via SIMEC ZEN Energy (an energy supplier).
1.1.2 Concept
The project concept is to utilise SIMEC Mining’s Iron Duchess North mine in the South Middleback Ranges as the site for a pumped hydro facility (the SMRPHES facility) once mining has finished at that location. Key features of the project concept are:
- the existing mine pit will be used as the lower reservoir;
- an upper reservoir will be constructed on the mine waste dumps above the mine pit using waste rock from current mining operations;
- the project would be constructed while mining is progressing to take advantage of the synergies and cost-savings that could be delivered from that activity; and
- the pumped hydro project would commence operations in early-mid 2023 after the conclusion of mining at the site.