Bezant Resources has signed a non-binding letter of intent with CrossBoundary Energy Management and Eversolar to provide a renewable and hybrid solar energy supply for the Hope & Gorob Copper-Gold Project.
Bezant became a 70% interest shareholder in the project after acquiring Virgo Resources in June 2020.
The acquisition of Virgo was completed on August 14, 2020.
Through its 100% owned Australian subsidiary, Hepburn Resources Pty Ltd, Virgo Resources owns 70% of Hope and Gorob Mining Pty Ltd, which owns EPL 5796.
Hepburn Resources Pty Ltd also owns 80% of Hope Namibia Mineral Exploration Pty Ltd, which owns EPL 6605 and EPL 7170.
The installation will provide a sustainable renewable power supply for the crushing and ore sorting plants at the Hope & Gorob site.
It will also provide renewable installation at the flotation plant close to Swakopmund that will be reconfigured to produce a final copper-gold concentrate from the ore-sorted pre-concentrate.
Based on an initial 15-year contract term, the indicative proposal presents a highly competitive energy cost.
CrossBoundary Energy will finance and implement the solar hybrid system and provide a guarantee of reliability and a suitable renewable policy for the life of the mine.
CrossBoundary Energy is a leading developer, owner, and operator of distributed renewable and hybrid energy solutions for businesses that provide total finance and cheaper, cleaner energy.
It is delivering a portfolio of over US$285 million in hybrid renewable energy assets for mining clients such as Rio Tinto, Syrah Resources, Norton Gold Fields, FG Gold, and NextSource Materials globally.
Eversolar will be responsible for engineering, procurement, and construction solutions, the completion of the project, and subsequent day-to-day management of the solar plants at both Hope & Gorob and the flotation plant.
Eversolar is a leading developer and provider of engineering, procurement, and construction services, specialising in commercial, industrial, agricultural, and mining solar solutions.
With a commitment to innovation, quality, and reliability, Eversolar has established itself as the go-to partner for businesses seeking to harness the power of solar and battery storage to drive their operations forward and realise sustainability goals.
Bezant Resources chairperson Colin Bird working with two leaders in the renewable energy sector, and the ability of CrossBoundary Energy and Eversolar to construct a renewable solution that incorporates both production sites is a major gain in terms of cost reduction over the life of mine and a reduction in emissions.
“Our commitment to a sustainable power supply underpins our previous work introducing dry ore sorting to limit water consumption and our plan to recycle an existing flotation plant to process our pre-concentrate effectively.
“These initiatives demonstrate that smaller projects can also afford to operate responsibly and sustainably,” Bird said.
