Powering WA's mines with renewables
Mines across Western Australia are facing a familiar challenge: how to keep operations running reliably while meeting new expectations for lower emissions and greater efficiency. This transition isn’t simply about checking a sustainability box but reflects growing economic pressure, investor expectations, supply chain challenges, and community demand for lower emissions. In short, renewables are becoming central to future-proofing mine operations, not just to cutting carbon.
Across Australia, the mining sector is setting ambitious targets for emissions reduction. Many operators aim to cut operational emissions by 30-50% by 2030, and some are planning for net-zero operational emissions within the next decade. Beyond environmental responsibility, renewables help mines stabilise costs, reduce exposure to diesel price volatility and meet the expectations of investors and regulators.
The combination of Australia’s abundant solar and wind resources makes hybrid energy systems a natural fit for off-grid and remote mining operations. ART has been working alongside mining operators to provide the data, planning and on-the-ground expertise needed to move renewable ambitions from concept to reality.
What’s holding projects back?
Despite the clear benefits, renewable adoption in mining remains challenging. Intermittent generation requires careful integration with storage or backup systems to maintain continuous operations. High upfront capital costs, complex approvals and land access or environmental constraints create uncertainty. Remote locations add additional logistical complexity, from delivery and installation to ongoing maintenance.
Even when companies are eager to invest, these hurdles often slow projects at the planning or financial close stage.
Intermittency and storage can impact production if not managed correctly.
Capital costs create hesitation, even when the long-term savings are clear.
Complex approvals and land access requirements slow projects down.
Remote logistics make design, deployment, and maintenance more challenging.
Moving from ambition to action
Successful renewable projects rely on three critical factors: reliable data, practical planning and execution expertise. Resource assessments provide the bankable data needed to attract investment and optimise system design. Hybrid systems must be engineered to withstand the environmental conditions of remote Australian sites, and ongoing support ensures long-term reliability safety and compliance. Mining operators that take a structured, data driven approach can convert ambition into operational reality, achieving emission reductions, energy resilience and cost efficiency simultaneously by:
- Having confidence in the numbers to secure investment.
- Designing systems that work in remote and demanding environments.
- Ensuring long-term reliability through the right infrastructure and support.
ART’s role is to guide operators through every stage of this transition. This includes delivering accurate wind and solar assessments, advising on system design for hybrid deployments and providing ongoing site support to ensure reliability. By doing so, ART helps transform renewable plans into projects that are performed in practice, not just on paper.
The opportunity ahead
Mining in WA has the potential to set the pace for renewable adoption globally. With abundant wind and solar resources and a mining industry ready to embrace decarbonisation, there are opportunities to replace diesel with clean energy solutions. Operators who can combine financial certainty, technical resilience, and stakeholder trust will not just meet today’s targets but position themselves for long-term success.
By working with experienced partners like ART, operators can bridge the gap between ambition and execution. ART’s combination of high-quality data, site-specific planning, and practical deployment expertise ensures that renewable energy projects in Australia’s toughest environments are delivered with confidence and reliability.