Wind turbine foundations laid at Gold Fields St Ives Renewable Energy project

Gold Fields says it has marked a significant milestone in the development of its landmark A$296 million ($193 million) St Ives Renewable Energy project, after foundations for wind turbines were laid.

Seven concrete foundations have been poured at the project site, located 80 km south of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia, in preparation for the arrival of the wind turbine components by September.

Each foundation contains 800 cu.m of concrete, which was produced and poured by Western Australia-based contractor Westforce.

Construction of the solar farm has also progressed, with more than 50% of the solar panel frames built and the first of 66,000 solar panels arriving on site ahead of installation commencing this month.

The St Ives Renewable Energy project will contain a 42 MW wind farm and a 35 MW solar farm spanning 2.5 sq.km, with the solar farm being delivered in partnership with Pacific Energy.

Both the wind and solar farms have been advancing on time and on budget, with construction expected to be completed in 2026, Gold Fields says.

Once operational, the renewable energy system will power more than 70% of Gold Fields’ St Ives mine, becoming Western Australia’s largest renewable energy initiative at an existing mine site.

Gold Fields Principal Specialist and Project Director, Simon Schmid, said the establishment of the turbine foundations was a pivotal moment for the project.

“The recent milestones achieved at the St Ives Renewable Energy project has further solidified the reality of what Gold Fields is achieving with our industry partners,” he said.

“When it’s up and running, the St Ives Renewable Energy project will be a visible representation of our commitment to making Gold Fields’ operations more sustainable. We believe this project is industry-leading when it comes to renewable energy use in the mining sector, and we are thrilled to see the progress that has been made as we track towards this goal.”

The St Ives Renewable Energy project will also contribute to Gold Fields’ global decarbonisation strategy, reducing the St Ives mine’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 from its 2016 baseline.

The gold producer has been expanding decarbonisation initiatives at its 10 sites and projects around the world, as part of its global target of 30% net emission reduction by 2030 from its 2016 baseline.