Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/638235
f e b r u a r y / m a r c h 2 0 1 6 www.resourceworld.com 57 cold climate projects as it demonstrates that with some tweaking, wind power is a viable option for the far north. "Once we no longer require the tur- bines, and if the turbines are mechanically and electrically sound, which we will determine, we would support donating them to a northern community or north- ern business," said Diavik Communications Adviser Doug Ashbury. The four wind turbines, generating at a capacity of 9.2 megawatts, amounts to approximately $6 million per year in sav- ings, according to the company. The wind farm cost $31 million to con- struct and has a seven year payback. The Diavik wind farm, operational to minus 40 degrees Celsius, began delivering power to the mine's grid in September 2012. During its first year of operations the wind farm reduced the mine's diesel fuel consump- tion by 3.8 million litres. The wind farm provides the mine with approximately 10% of its power needs, lowering its car- bon footprint. Diavik, remote and off-grid, operates the world's largest wind-diesel hybrid power facility. 2015 performance data includes: • 5.2 m litres diesel offset • CO 2 equivalent offset of 14,404 tonnes • 11.2% of mine's total power needs • 98.0% availability rate • 20.8 gigawatt hours energy produced The wind farm is also reducing the mine's annual ice road fuel haul by approx- imately 75 loads. Diamond production began at Diavik in 2003. The current mine plan has production ending in 2023. Diavik is forecast to produce 5.5 m to 6 m carats annually 2015-2017. The Diavik Diamond Mine is a Diavik Diamond Mines (2012) Inc. (60% own- ership) and Dominion Diamond Diavik Limited Partnership (40% ownership) unincorporated joint venture. Diavik Diamond Mines (2012) Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of rio tinto plc [RIO- NYSE, AUX]. Dominion Diamond Diavik Limited Partnership is wholly owned by Dominion Diamond corp. [DDC-TSX]. Diavik Diamond Mines (2012) Inc. man- ages the operation of the mine. On September 29, 2015 Rio Tinto announced that their Weipa Solar Plant in Queensland, Australia's first commer- cial diesel displacement solar plant, had successfully commenced commercial oper- ation and is generating electricity for the mine, processing facilities and township on the Western Cape York Peninsula. It's expected to reduce Weipa's greenhouse gas emissions by around 1,600 tonnes a year. Rio Tinto recently announced that it had signed the Paris Pledge for Action. The company said that, "The Pledge is a way for companies, organizations, cities and regions to show their support for the climate agree- ment reached in Paris at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21). It aligns closely with the Group's own approach to addressing cli- mate change – and the efforts it is already making across its global operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." n www.precisiongeosurveys.com 604.484.9402 Magnetics - Radiometrics - Time Domain EM Specialists in high resolution airborne geophysics in mountainous terrain Diavik Diamond Mine wind farm, Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories. Photo Courtesy of Diavik Diamond Mines (2012) Inc.