20MW solar array at the Bellevue gold project
Western Australian miner Bellevue Gold has initiated expansion studies at its namesake gold project, in Western Australia, following the successful commissioning and ramp-up of the new mine.
Bellevue, which has also declared commercial production, produced 37 338 oz in the March quarter, putting the company on track to achieve its guidance of 75 000 oz to 85 000 oz for the six months to June 30.
“We are now really hitting our straps, with the commissioning and production ramp-up proceeding well and cash flow growing,” said MD Darren Stralow.
In parallel with the ramp-up, Bellevue is accelerating the next leg of its organic growth strategy, which centres on increasing throughput by 50% to 1.5-million tonnes a year.
The plant was designed to enable throughput capacity to be increased from 1-million tonnes a year to 1.2-milllion tonnes a year with no material capital expenditure required. To confirm this, the plant operated at 1.2-million tonnes for a week during February.
Bellevue has started a scoping study on a plant expansion to 1.5-million tonnes a year to investigate capital requirements for the expansion and to include nonprocessing infrastructure.
Meanwhile, as part of a strategy to achieve an aspirational goal of being a net zero gold producer by 2026, Bellevue has begun the changeover to a thermal and renewable power solution, switching from the diesel power plant used during the commissioning period.
The thermal liquefied natural gas components of the power plant have been fully completed and commissioned and are providing baseload power. Installation of an initial 10 MW solar array has been completed with the first 7 MW being commissioned.
Earthworks will begin this week on the 24 MW wind power turbines, with completion and commissioning expected in the first quarter of the 2025 calendar year.