MALI – Robex Resources Inc and Vivo Energy, which sells and distributes Shell and Eigen branded fuels and lubricants in Africa, have reached an agreement for Vivo Energy to supply solar energy to the Nampala Mine for a period of five to fifteen years.
In a press release, the companies said that the idea is to produce and store solar energy at Nampala. The hybrid production and supply project includes a 3.9 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant and a 2.6 MWh battery which, through the energy management system, will be fully integrated with the mine’s existing thermal power plant to ensure a continuous supply of power to the mine at all times and at a lower cost.
“This project with Robex is Vivo Energy’s first contract with one of our commercial customers to supply fuel, combined with a hybrid solar energy solution,” Christian Chammas, CEO of Vivo Energy, said.
“We believe that there are many advantages of our innovative partnership to provide a comprehensive energy solution to our commercial customers and we look forward to extending our offer to our current and future customers to help them reduce their costs and CO2 emissions.”
“This energy will enable us to reduce our carbon impact by approximately 60,000 tonnes over ten years, provide us with a complementary source of energy to stabilize our electricity production and reduce our production costs.”
Benjamin Cohen – CEO, Robex
Located in southern Mali, the Nampala mine began commercial production on January 1, 2017.
According to Robex, during its second year of production, the plant processed very low-grade saprolite (0.8 g/t) and achieved a record 1,796,000 tonnes, which allowed recovering 44,946 ounces of gold for a cost per ounce of US$643/ounce.
“We are proud to introduce solar energy into our mining business. This energy will enable us to reduce our carbon impact by approximately 60,000 tonnes over ten years, provide us with a complementary source of energy to stabilize our electricity production and reduce our production costs, which are among the lowest in the world. This facility is expected to reduce the cost of the KW currently consumed by the mine operations by US$0.04,” Benjamin Cohen, CEO of Robex, said.
According to Khadidiatou Fall, the new General Manager of Vivo Energy Malitheir mining clients are always looking for ways to reduce their operational costs and improve their sustainability. With this hybrid solar/fuel solution, they can help them achieve both goals.
“I’m very pleased to have reached this agreement, which is in line with our long-term vision for our operations on this deposit. It will allow us to further improve our profitability, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and significantly improve our impact on the environment,” Robex Resources Inc President, Mr. Georges Cohen, said.
“This project reinforces our environmental policy and reflects our desire to participate in the fight against global warming and to reduce our environmental footprint. I would like to thank Vivo Energy for having placed its trust in us and for working with us on this successful project.”
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