The move will help the mine operators facing high diesel fuel costs to use solar technology to generate power.
The company has outlined plans to install solar power systems with a total capacity of approximately 200MW at mining sites in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia, over the next three years.
First Solar Asia-Pacific Business Development vice president Jack Curtis was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that in an environment where profitability isn’t what it used to be, with the mining industry focused on cost control, the electricity that powers the mines is becoming a bigger line item, and the ability to put a dent in that and hedge against fuel price volatility is something that solars offers.
Australian Ethical International Equities Trust manager Nathan Lim said, "The difference between today and five to 10 years ago is the reliability, and that the cost of solar has come down. It’s becoming a no-brainer for people in remote locations."
