Barrick Gold heeds call for renewable energy

Canada’s Barrick Gold has been putting money into the development of clean power in the US and Latin America.

RENO, NV - 

The world's largest gold mining company, Barrick, is headquartered in Canada, which long-ago embraced tax benefits for those who invest in renewable energy. It is also one of the largest employers in rural Nevada.

In a presentation to the Nevada Clean Energy Summit, Michael Brown, Vice President of U.S. Public Affairs for Barrick, said the company has invested in a 115-megawatt natural gas power plant, a few miles east of Reno, several years ago. Barrick is also adding a 1 megawatt solar energy farm on nine acres near the natural gas plant.

Meanwhile, Brown noted that the company uses solar panels on monitors and other mine site equipment, and intends to use a combination of geothermal and solar power for its new Elko administration building.

Brown also highlighted Barrick plans to build a $40 million wind farm in the Punta Colorado area of La Higuera, Coquimbo Region of Chile. The wind farm will include 10 wind turbines aimed at generated up to 20 megawatts of power to Chile's national power grind. Once completed, it will be Chile's largest source of wind-generated power.

Barrick is also installing a 2 megawatt demonstration wind turbine near its Veladero mine in San Juan, Argentina. When start-up begins at year-end, it will be the only turbine in the world operating at more than 4,000 meters above sea level.

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