The purpose of this project was to connect the Sotrami S.A. processing plant to the grid, thereby reducing greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from diesel generators. The village of Santa Filomena, adjacent to the mine, had been connected to the grid through a state rural electrification programme in 2014. However, the processing plant, located 10 km downhill from the village, still relied on generators for its operations.

The project comprised: 

• 10 km of primary air lines 30-22.9 kV, from the village to the plant
• Underground lines 30-22.9 kV, from the last pole to the interior of the plant
• A substation with a 500 kVA capacity

Work started in January 2015 and took one month to complete. The project was co-financed by Sotrami S.A. and the Better Gold Fund. The SBGA contribution amounted to USD 108,000.

Environmental impact:

Connection to the grid avoids annual consumption of 80,000 gallons of diesel, equivalent to 800 tons of CO2 emissions.

Electricity consumption indirectly emits the equivalent of 250 tons of CO2. Emission factors were calculated using Version 4.1. of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol for stationary combustion, produced by the World Resource Institute (2009).

This investment also generated savings that enabled the company, a world pioneer of small and medium-scale artisanal mine operation, to remain competitive and continue to play a key role for the Santa Filomena community.

Date of Project completion:

The connection of Sotrami SA processing plant to the grid was concluded in February 2015.