The A$112 million (US$78 million) system, which includes five wind turbines integrated in a hybrid microgrid that is the largest in Australia and the first in the country to power a mine using wind-generated electricity.

The system comprises the wind turbines, which will create 18MW, as well as a 10 710-panel 4MW solar farm, a 13MW/4MWh battery energy storage system and an off-grid 12MW gas/diesel engine power plant.

In good weather, the project provides about 70% of Agnew's needs. The complex has two underground mines and a 1.3 million-tonnes-per-year processing plant featuring a three-stage crushing circuit, two-stage milling circuit, gravity circuit and carbon-in-pulp circuit.

Gold Fields VP Stuart Mathews said the project with EDL underscored the potential for a hybrid renewable energy model to meet power needs for remote mines.

"Having built our own internal technical capability and developed relationships with our business partners, we are well placed to continue to implement renewable solutions elsewhere in our business."

Agnew, in the Eastern Goldfields region, is located 375 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie and nearly 1,000km northeast of Perth. It produces about 250,000 ounces annually.