Barrick-operated Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) has completed construction of a 200-MW solar power plant and has now shifted its sights to modifying TS Power Plant to use natural gas as a fuel source. In partnership with Quaise Energy (Quaise), NGM is investigating how deep geothermal energy sources can further reduce the 240-MW coal-fired plant’s fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The geothermal heat would come from NGM’s land and subsurface holdings and hybridize on-site power generation.
Quaise Energy and Barrick think geothermal drilling success could complement a recent 200-MW solar project to reduce emissions from coal-fired TS Power Plant in the desert of Eureka County. The partnership highlights the potential of deep geothermal to decarbonize heavy industrial sectors like mining and support NGM’s 2030 GHG reduction roadmap targets.
“Deep geothermal can decarbonize critical industrial processes like mining because of its superior power density,” said Carlos Araque, President and CEO of Quaise Energy. “Our millimeter wave drilling technology is the key to unlocking high-grade geothermal heat, repositioning fossil-fired assets for a clean energy future.”
The retrofit of NGM’s TS Power Plant positions Quaise to go from drilling field trials to complete commercial deployment. Shifting from coal to natural gas is still fossil-fired generation, but can reduce carbon emissions by 50%. Microgrids for mining: Read more here.
Nabors Industries was contracted to handle drilling operations. NGM, which was jointly formed by Barrick and Newmont in 2019, owns and operates one of the largest gold mining operations in the world, including the Goldstrike, Cortez, Turquoise Ridge, Long Canyon and Twin Creeks mines.
