Image Resources partners with Sunrise Energy Group for 4MW solar farm at Boonanarring

An exploration and development company, with a large focus on mineral sand projects in Perth, has entered into an agreement for the construction of a solar farm for one of its flagship projects.

Image Resources announced this week that it had partnered with Sunrise Energy Group for the supply and construction of a 3-4 Mega Watt Alternating Current solar farm to be built next to its Boonanarring mineral sands project north of Perth.

Sunrise will work to secure all necessary development approvals and activities over the next 6-8 months and, should the approvals all be attained, enter into construction in early 2019.

The solar farm will look to be responsible for 25% of all Image Resources electricity demands at the mine site.

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“We are pleased to be one of the pioneering WA mining companies adopting distributed renewable electricity generation” said Patrick Mutz, Managing Director of Image Resources. “This solar farm is expected to produce around 25% of our electrical requirements at Boonanarring. Not only will the solar farm supply power in an environmentally sustainable manner, its construction will result in a further $6-$7m of capital investment by Sunrise Energy Group into a long-life asset located in the shire of Gingin, creating both construction and operational employment. It could also provide a small savings in annual electricity costs to the Company.

The Boonarring and Atlas deposits, when incorporated as part of Image Resources’ entire North Perth Basin Mineral Sands Project, represents one of the highest-grade mineral sands resources under evaluation worldwide.

The project has a total Resource of 32.3 million, with plans to mine the deposits at a rate of 3.3Mtpa over a projected 10-year mine life.

Annual production from the mine is expected to average 89,000t of ilmenite, 5,400t of leucoxene, 9,000t of rutile and 32,400t of zircon for a combined annual production of these heavy minerals of 135,900t.