Harmony Gold to reduce dependence on Eskom with use of green hydrogen
In the wake of extensive nationwide scheduled blackouts, the South African gold mining company Harmony Gold will investigate the use of green hydrogen and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to relieve pressure on the national grid and decrease its dependency on Eskom for power generation.
Harmony Gold, South Africa’s largest gold miner by bulk, is mostly dependent on Eskom for its electricity requirements. However, Eskom’s coal-fired power facilities frequently experience problems, which puts pressure on the nation’s miners to find alternate means of generating energy.
To lower operational expenses and lessen its reliance on Eskom, Harmony Gold has started to develop a pipeline of renewable and alternative energy projects. In line with the company’s initial decarbonization ambitions,
Midway through 2022, Harmony Gold will have completed the power purchase agreement for three 10 MW solar photovoltaic plants that will power its operations in the Free State of South Africa. In the subsequent phase, the company plans to develop an additional 137 MW of renewable energy at its longer-life mines.
