Nevada Copper has signed an agreement with NV Energy to study the potential of developing a 500MW photovoltaic (PV) project that would supply power to Pumpkin Hollow copper mine in western Nevada, US.
The solar study, which is expected to be completed within three months, would be carried out to develop a solar facility on private land owned by Nevada Copper zoned M-1 Industrial by the City of Yerington.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Nevada Copper CEO Giulio Bonifacio: "Nevada Copper is very interested in developing solar energy on its project area, both to supply power to the mine, and to deliver power to the grid.
"This presents another significant opportunity that is the direct result of the successful passage of the land bill, which was signed into law by President Obama and resulted in receipt of all permits to construct a mine."
In 2015, Nevada Copper partnered with the City of Yerington and Lyon County to implement the purchase of federal lands by the city, which re-conveyed and deeded 9,145 acres to the company in October 2015.
Upon completion of the land conveyance, the company will proceed with financing discussions to support development of the Pumpkin Hollow copper project.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataData published by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) revealed that the project area has a high level of solar irradiation, 6.5kW-7kW hours per square metre per day.
The company said that based on the NREL solar irradiation data, a 200MW typical solar photovoltaic project in the Yerington area would require 1,600-2,000 acres of land.
Solar energy could be used at the mine site and transmitted into the grid using existing transmission lines located east of the project area, or through other routes.
Image: NV Energy will perform solar study to develop a solar facility on private land owned by Nevada Copper. Photo: courtesy of franky242/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
