A key Moroccan silver mine will soon be powered primarily by wind energy

Moroccan renewables outfit Nareva to power one of the country’s largest silver mines: Moroccan mining firm Zgounder Millennium Silver Mining — a subsidiary of Canada-based miner Aya Gold & Silver — has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Énergie Éolienne du Maroc (EEM) — a subsidiary of Moroccan energy firm Nareva — to purchase renewable energy for its Zgounder silver mine, according to a statement. The agreement will see EEM supply 80 GWh of electricity annually, generated from its renewable energy projects, the company said. No details were provided about the pricing of the PPA or when exactly it would be operational.

The details: Under the PPA, the processing plants and infrastructure of the Zgounder silver mine — one of Morocco’s most important silver mines — will be powered primarily by renewable energy, according to the statement. In time, all of the mine’s electricity consumption could be covered by the PPA. EEM currently operates five wind projects with a combined generation capacity of 505 MW.

It’s all kicking off once Zgounder has finished its current expansion: The PPA will come into effect once the Zgounder project has completed its current expansion project, the statement said. The company recently secured a USD 100 mn loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to fund the expansion, which includes the installation of a new power line to transmit the power purchased under the agreement.