Nevada gold mining venture selected for $95M solar project

After being awarded a federal grant to help decarbonize the mining industry, Nevada Gold Mines hopes to build two on-site solar panel and battery systems in Humboldt and Lander counties.

A joint mining venture based in Nevada has been awarded a federal grant worth up to $95 million for a solar project that officials tout could generate enough power to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 2 million tons.

The US Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) late last month officially selected Nevada Gold Mines LLC (NGM) as a recipient for an agency program designed to demonstrate technological and economic viability of clean energy projects on active and former mining sites across the country. The NGM project, which it is calling “Decarbonizing Gold Mines in Nevada,” was just one of five across the US picked to access the $475 million in federal funding allotted for the program. 

NGM ultimately plans to build up to 40 megawatts of solar photovoltaic and 100 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage systems at the Turquoise Ridge gold mining site in Humboldt County, as well as plans to build a separate 60 megawatt solar array with a 148 megawatt-hour battery for the Cortez site in Lander County, according to the Elko Daily Free Press.  

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The mining venture, which is operated by Barrick Gold and the Newmont Corporation, further told the Elko Daily Free Press the funding marks a “significant milestone” that will help the outfit meet its decarbonization goals.

“By integrating solar power and energy storage at our facilities, we aim not only to reduce emissions but also set a replicable example for the mining industry to achieve net-zero operations by 2050,” Henri Gonon, managing director of NGM, told the outlet. 

Both systems will be interconnected to NGM’s existing power distribution system, allowing for the energy generated by the project to be used immediately, replacing power currently generated on-site from fossil fuels and electricity otherwise currently purchased from the grid. 

“Reducing mining emissions is critical as the nation ramps up its domestic supply chain to meet mineral demands in the clean energy, medical, aerospace, and advanced technology industries,” according to an online summary of the project.

To date, OCED has already awarded about $14.6 million for the first phase of the project, which entails determining engineering logistics, a business plan, and starting the required permitting requests. Phase one of the project  is currently projected to last up to 16 months and cost roughly $29.3 million. NGM will also be required to engage with impacted communities, tribal entities, and surrounding workforce as part of a community benefits agreement. 

Communities surrounding the Turquoise Ridge site fall into a federal initiative launched by President Joe Biden called Justice40, which requires 40% of all federal funds used in certain clean energy projects be returned to historically-underserved areas. 

Specific community benefits are still being determined for this project, according to OCED, but NGM has committed to consult with community members, and will host presentations, site tours, and townhall meetings open to the public and held in conjunction with impacted communities. 

In a statement, Nevada Democratic US Sen. Jacky Rosen told The Nevadan she hopes the solar projects lead to jobs for in-state residents. 

“Mining is a critical sector for Nevada’s economy, providing good-paying jobs and helping to power the country’s clean energy future,” Rosen said. “I’m thrilled this funding is being delivered to bring clean energy to mining sites in Humboldt and Lander Counties. I’ll always work across the aisle to support mining investments in Nevada and the good-paying jobs they create in all corners of our state.”

In addition to NGM, OCED also selected projects in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Arizona for funding. Funds have been announced for each project, except for a proposed direct-use geothermal to help bolster copper production. 

NGM in August also celebrated the opening of a its 200-megawatt TS Solar Power Plant, which officials told the Elko Daily Free Press has capacity to produce about 17% of NGM’s annual power demand and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 234 kilotons annually — about 8% of NGM’s 2018 greenhouse gas emissions. 

But the solar projects have also been rebuffed by some environmentalist groups, such as the Center for Biological Diversity. 

“[It’s] insane that we’re using taxpayer dollars to fund modest decarbonization of one of the most wasteful, dirty, destructive industries in the world – gold mining,” Patrick Donnelly, the organization’s director for the Great Basin region, posted to the social media website Bluesky last week. “The chief goal here seems to be greenwashing a filthy industry, not beating climate change.”

He continued in another post: “We don’t need to decarbonize gold mining, we need to shut down the mines.”