interview
60-second interview: KRISHNAN RAJAGOPALAN
The next stage for power hybrids
T
he economics of renewable energy for mines have never been more attractive, yet higher penetration still appears difficult to reach. Sterling and Wilson, a leading renewable solution provider, is working with miners in Australia and beyond to support the higher integration of renewable power in hybrids.
In this 60-second interview, Krishnan Rajagopalan, Head – Business Development, Hybrid & Energy Storage, Sterling and Wilson, shares his insights about why it is taking so long to reach critical mass for renewables in the mining sector, and which upcoming trends are likely to tip the balance. Energy and Mines: Now that small-scale solar is well proven for miners, how can projects get to the next stage with high-penetration solar and battery storage? Krishnan Rajagopalan: The current financials and the economics for miners who are operating on off-grid (diesel, HFO or gas-based) power generation systems, are proven to be viable. However, the effectiveness of battery storage for mining applications with respect to load side demand management when surges happen is yet to be demonstrated for larger data points. But the technology has matured to address this. We believe that as more installations happen in the off-grid space with solar and storage penetration, slowly the comfort for mining companies will increase to adopt large-scale solar and storage solutions. The current level of penetration with solar + storage with 33
