OceanaGold showed off the fully electric hydraulic shovel at its Macraes mine today. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
A North Otago gold mine has powered up an electrifying new addition to help it become more sustainable.
OceanaGold unveiled the country's largest, fully electric hydraulic shovel - a large exacavator - at its Macraes mine on Tuesday.
A thick, 6600 volt power cable connects the electric shovel to the national grid.
Legal and public affairs senior vice president Alison Paul said the business burnt a lot of diesel and it was clear it needed to decarbonise.
OceanaGold had made a corporate level commitment to cut carbon to net zero by 2050, and look for 30 percent reductions by 2030.
"You need to find a way in this instance to plug a machine like this into the mains and still operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
"We've found a way to do that and so I think it's going to be technology that unlocks the decarbonisation for us."
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones was on hand to inspect the machine for himself. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
The machine did the same job as the business' diesel shovels, but staff did have to carefully plan where the power cable went, she said.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones formally put the shovel to work in front of a sea of high-vis jackets and hard hats, saying he wanted a Tonka truck as a child and getting into the electric shovel was a dream come true.
He was overwhelmed by the money and trust that has been invested into the project.
"It's an overdue step I guess you'd say in this particular industry to win back the hearts and minds of the doubting Thomases that we can have climate smart mining," he said.
He believed the mining industry would be a key contributor to the country's path towards decarbonisation.
"I've had a gutsful of the New Zealand mining industry being stigmatised, marginalised, demonised. This industry is a legitimate component of a modern New Zealand economy."
Shane Jones makes a point at the unveiling. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton
The electric shovel cost around $10 million for the machine and everything it needs to run.
The New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority partly funded the machine in partnership with OceanaGold.
Macraes open pit mine manager Pieter Doelman said it has been a welcome addition to the site.
"It just shows people that these things can be done and we've taken a bit of a risk with this machine," he said.
"I guess this is part of the funding from EECA with the technology demonstration fund which is just to demonstrate to people that this type of stuff can work, can work here in New Zealand and New Zealanders can run it."
OceanaGold is looking to extend the life of Macraes mine to around 2030.
Macraes open pit mine manager Pieter Doelman. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton