Cat® Solar Panels Uphold Responsible Mining And Sustainability

B2Gold’s solar facility at Otjikoto Mine includes 62,400 Cat thin-film PVT modules mounted on single-axis trackers, 260 solar inverters, seven 1 MW transformers and the Cat Microgrid Master Controller (MMC). By converting the mine’s power-producing capabilities to a solar hybrid, company officials estimate a reduction in HFO consumption of about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) per year, which results in an annual savings of 14 to 16 percent in the cost of power generation. Mine executives have projected that the operational cost savings of the solar facility will result in a payback period of four-and-a-half to five years.