Caterpillar G3500K Generators Selected for Off-Grid Power at Kazakhstan's Remote Gold Mine
Stationary power generator Caterpillar is helping energize gold mining operations in a remote and resource-rich region of Kazakhstan which lacks access to nearby grid connection.
The West Gold Mining Limited operation in the Aktobe region has selected two new Cat G3500K-series gas-fired generator sets to provide prime power at the mine site. The gen-sets are designed to handle off-grid power in an area which is almost 300 kilometers from the nearest city and faces temperatures ranging from colder than negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit to as hot as 90 degrees in the Kazakhstan summer.
“We needed a power solution that could operate independently off the grid while supporting our long-term plans,” Beken Erik, CEO of West Gold Mining Limited, said in a statement. “The Cat solution, along with the local support provided, gave us confidence in both performance and future scalability.”
West Gold Mining worked with distributor Borusan Cat to order and receive the two new G3500K gas gen-sets. This on-site power model is engineered to provide both combined heat and power (CHP) services where needed and to run in continuous operation in remote areas.
‘This project demonstrates how we help customers solve practical energy challenges by delivering reliable, scalable power systems backed by local expertise, service and long-term support,’’ said Melissa Busen, senior vice president with Cat Electric Power.
The K series of Cat generators can run on multiple fuels, including natural gas, propane, hydrogen blends, coalbed methane and biogas. Although this type of on-site power project may not be classified as a microgrid by some, the gen-sets run as prime and islandable power with Cat energy management and control systems, same as microgrids.
Some of Kazakhstan’s largest mining projects are in the Aktobe region, according to multiple reports. In addition to gold, silver and other deposits, the nation is a leader in chromium, nickel, cobalt, zinc and copper reserves.
All are considered critical minerals in the energy technology supply chain globally.
About the Author
Rod Walton, Microgrid Knowledge Managing EditorRod Walton, Microgrid Knowledge Managing Editor
Managing Editor
For Microgrid Knowledge editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].
I’ve spent the last 18 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. I was an energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World before moving to business-to-business media at PennWell Publishing, which later became Clarion Events, where I covered the electric power industry. I joined Endeavor Business Media in November 2021 to help launch EnergyTech, one of the company’s newest media brands. I joined Microgrid Knowledge in July 2023.
I earned my Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. My career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World, all in Oklahoma . I have been married to Laura for the past 36-plus years and we have four children and one adorable granddaughter. We want the energy transition to make their lives better in the future.
Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech are focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.