• Pages
  • Editions
01 Cover
02 Welcome Letter / Sections
03 Index & Interview Directory
04 Section 1: Introduction
05 The Road to Recovery
06 ABSA Group Interview
07 PwC Interview
08 Regional Trends
09 Sustainability & ESG Gaining Momentum
10 SRK Consulting Interview
11 Nafasi Water & ZN Geo Services Interviews
12 Section 2: Production, Development and Exploration
13 Precious Metals
14 Gold Fields Interview
15 Harmony & Pan African Resources Interviews
16 Base and Energy Metals
17 Lepidico Interview
18 Trevali Mining Interview
19 Orion Minerals Interview
20 Vedanta Zinc International Interview
21 Kumba Iron Ore Interview
22 Diamonds
23 Lucara Diamond Interview
24 Debswana Interview
25 Section 3: South Africa
26 South Africa
27 Ministry of Mineral Resouces and Energy SA Interview
28 Minerals Council SA Interview
29 Seriti & Exxaro Resources Interviews
30 NSDV & ENSafrica Interviews
31 Insights on South African Mining Industry's Health
32 Section 4: Namibia
33 Namibia
34 Chamber of Mines Namibia Interview
35 RMB & Standard Bank Namibia Interviews
36 Walvis Bay Salt Holdings Interview
37 Insights on Namibia as a Mining Investment Destination
38 Section 5: Equipment and Services
39 The Journey to Modern Mining
40 Murray & Roberts Interview
41 Kal Tire Interview
42 Eazi Access Interview
43 METC Engineering Interview
44 Insights on Digital Mining Revolution in Africa
45 MEMSA Interview
46 Fabchem Mining Interview
47 Insights from Local Manufacturers
48 Energy
49 juwi Interview
50 Engie Impact & Vivo Energy Interviews
51 Howden Interview
52 Section 6: Sponsored Company Profiles
53 Trevali Company Profile
54 Murray & Roberts Company Profile
55 Concluding Remarks
56 Credits

Richard Doyle,

Managing Director South Africa,

Peter Drager,

Head of Development (Hybrid and Offgrid) EMEA,

JUWI

"We are the leading utility-scale solar PV EPC company in South Africa with 400 MW installed capacity and are expanding our presence into Africa."

Can you give an overview of juwi and the company’s history in the Southern African region?

RD: juwi was founded 25 years ago and specializes in renewable energy solutions. We are the leading utility-scale solar PV EPC company in South Africa with 400 MW installed capacity and are expanding our presence into Africa. We are currently building a 10 MW project for Pan African Resources in South Africa and are involved in creating the world’ largest offgrid/hybrid facility at the Sukari gold mine in Egypt. Our head office is in Germany and we have strong local project development, EPC and O&M capabilities in our offices in Cape Town, from where we serve the African region.

What have been some of juwi’s major milestones over the past few years?

RD: Historically, juwi has had a strong profile in government-sponsored utility-scale projects because renewable energy was driven by subsidies. Now renewable energy costs are much lower than the grid and there has been a substantial shift towards direct procurement from private PPAs. The mining industry is also moving towards utilizing more renewable energies to support their emission reduction goals.

PD: In 2016, juwi completed the 10.6 MW solar hybrid system which was integrated with an existing 19 MW diesel-fired power station at the DeGrussa mine in Australia. This was a flagship project for the mining industry and has set the scene for mining companies with off-grid operations considering emission reduction schemes. Since the DeGrussa project, juwi has deployed a number of off-grid projects in Australia and we are now in the process of deploying our first projects in Africa. The last 12 months has seen an exciting step change in the interest from the mining industry for renewable energy, which we see is driven by three key factors – confidence in technology, competitive (or cheaper) cost of supply and ambitious carbon emission commitments.

What makes hybrid energy solutions an attractive option for mines?

PD: As part of emissions reduction planning, most mining operations identify that the first step in the process is the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficacy schemes to reduce electricity consumption from fossil fuels. This transition is made easier by the fact that the deployment of these systems is a cheaper alternative to conventional generation, which improves the all-in sustaining costs of the operations. These systems also reduce the risk of price volatility from fossil fuel based electricity, which is a key concern for most operations.

From a technical perspective, battery storage is fast becoming a key contributor to hybrid power systems as an enabler for high penetrations of renewable energy. Interestingly, these battery systems have inherent functionality that significantly improves the grid stability of these sites even when the sun is not shining and wind is not blowing.

Can you elaborate on juwi’s project at the Elikhulu Gold Retreatment Plant and how bi-facial module technologies can maximize yield?

RD: The grid connected renewable energy project is the largest project and the first of its kind in the South African mining space and will provide 30% of the annual energy needs for the site. The solar photovoltaic plant will utilize bi-facial module technology (collects sunlight from both faces) mounted onto a single-axis tracking system, the combination of which will maximize the energy yield from the available land area. This reduces the overall cost of electricity at the site and the sites environmental impact.

Comparing solar and wind technologies, what adoption trends are you witnessing in the mining industry?

PD: Many mines are on an emissions reduction journey, and what we are seeing is that companies are employing a staged approach of deployment of renewables over the coming 5-20 years. This may start with wind or solar PV, but in order to get close to achieving 100% renewable energy and matching the load (particularly for off-grid sites), a combination of the two technologies is required. The key to success in these projects is in the detailed engineering/planning to align the technical constraints with the commercial requirements/targets – juwi is best placed to support any mine with these activities.

Next:

Interviews: Engie Impact & Vivo Energy