Off-grid Mine Goes 155 Consecutive Hours On 100% Renewable Energy
Jun 23, 2026
Australian miner Bellevue Gold has hit a sustainability milestone at its namesake gold mine in remote Western Australia, achieving 155 consecutive hours of "engine-off" operations with the facility running entirely on renewable energy courtesy of a 90 MW off-grid hybrid power station.
The microgrid, owned and operated by Perth-based remote power specialist Zenith Energy, integrates 27 MW of solar, 24 MW of wind and a 15 MW / 30 MWh battery energy storage system. It also includes 24 MW of thermal generation that serves as back-up.
Zenith said the off-grid system allowed the Bellevue site, near Leinster in Western Australia's northern Goldfields region, to operate for six-and-a-half consecutive days on 100% renewable power.
"This is a significant milestone, not only for the project but for what is possible in the Australian energy sector and for demonstrating nation-leading progress in renewable energy for remote mining operations," Zenith said in a LinkedIn post.
Originally designed to meet at least 80% of the 24-hour underground mining operation's energy needs with renewables, the system also allows the gold mine to operate on 100% renewable energy and switch to an "engine-off" mode during periods of high renewable energy generation.
The system works because solar supplies strong daytime output, wind complements evenings and shoulder periods, and the battery smooths variability and carries short peaks in demand. That combination allows engines to switch off for extended periods while maintaining stable power for the processing plant and underground operations. The site is forecast to average 80–90% renewable penetration over a typical year, subject to weather and mine demand.
"Moments like this show what that looks like in practice, especially with the right weather conditions," Zenith said.
For Bellevue, the energy solution supports its ambition to become Australia's first net-zero (Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions) gold producer. Bellevue's ultimate goal is to produce "carbon-neutral gold," which it believes will give it a "major competitive advantage in global investment markets."
"We've put out a strategy that's ahead of the market that will have us producing net zero carbon gold by 2026, and we couldn't do it without renewable energy as a core part," Bellevue Gold's managing director, Darren Stralow, said. "(It's) a significant milestone, not only for the project, but for what is possible in the Australian energy sector."
