Harvest Minerals begins construction of solar power facility for Arapua project

The solar power facility, which will supply 100% of Arapua's power needs, is expected to be commissioned within 5 months. In total, 276.79 kilowatts peak (kWp) will be installed, including 622 solar modules of 445 Wp each. The company anticipates that OPEX (mining and processing) will be reduced by 8% because of the reduction in energy costs.

A debt facility of circa R$1 million (approximately US$200 000) has been signed with Banco Santander with a 5-year term at favourable rates to fund 100% of the cost of construction of the solar power facility.

Brian McMaster, Chairman of Harvest, said: "Earlier in the year, we qualified for the London Stock Exchange's Green Economy Mark, which recognised our commitment to ensuring our operations and products are as sustainable as possible. We are therefore delighted to strengthen our zero-carbon strategy with a solar energy initiative that will not only significantly reduce our carbon footprint but will also deliver substantial and ongoing cost savings. Furthermore, given both large agricultural and smaller retail customers are increasingly looking holistically at the processes along the whole supply chain in their quest to source low-impact, high-quality, organic fertilisers, we are positioned to capture these customers and build sales. We look forward to updating the market on our progress in the near future."

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/project-news/29092021/harvest-minerals-begins-construction-of-solar-power-facility-for-arapua-project/