The Hamersley & Rocklea Microgrid Solution covers the design, engineering and feasibility assessment of microgrids for Rio Tinto’s Hamersley and Rocklea homesteads in the Pilbara.
The brief
Rio Tinto Iron Ore engaged Aurum to investigate replacing conventional supply at both homesteads with a primary solar farm and containerised battery energy storage, backed by a generator for redundancy and maintenance outages.
The challenge
A remote microgrid has to be sized correctly: too small and it can’t carry the site, too large and capital is wasted. That depends on understanding actual demand at each homestead and how new equipment fits with existing switchboards and infrastructure — some of which needed rectification.
The solution
- Maximum demand calculations for each site to size the solar array and battery storage
- Layouts and spatial planning showing how the system fits alongside existing arrangements
- Single line diagrams, schematics and an electrical report
- Liaison with RTIO and preferred suppliers to align with their specifications
- Identification of switchboard non-compliances and the rectification required
- A feasibility report and design drawings to inform Rio Tinto and enable preliminary vendor pricing, with technical support through the pricing process
The outcome
- A clear, evidence-based case for solar + battery microgrids at two remote homesteads
- Documentation ready for vendor pricing
- Existing compliance issues identified for rectification
