Sukha Balka is building a 2 MW solar power plant

New energy project at Frunze mine will help reduce dependence on centralized grids

The construction of a solar power plant has started at Frunze mine at Sukha Balka, which will help the company partially solve the problem of electricity shortages. The project involves the installation of its own generating capacity, which will allow the mine to operate more stably in the face of energy constraints, according to the DCH Steel corporate newspaper.

According to Igor Piltek, Deputy CEO and Chief Engineer of the mine, the power plant is scheduled to be commissioned in June this year. It will have a capacity of 2 MW and will operate in an autonomous mode. According to preliminary estimates, the investment in the project will pay off in four years.

The design and purchase of equipment is currently underway, and preparatory work has already been completed at the mine. Employees of the mine construction department’s site No. 23 cleared a two-hectare area of obsolete buildings and structures to prepare the site for the installation of solar panels. A total of 2,740 panels will be installed.

«These buildings have not been involved in the production process for a long time, so we decided to dismantle the structures and make room for the installation of the necessary, modern equipment,» explained Igor Piltek.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Sukha Balka mine produced 1.002 million tons of crude ore in 2024. Last year’s production of commercial products amounted to 917 thousand tons, which is 1.5% less compared to 2023. Thus, the company processed 7.68 thousand cubic meters of rock mass, performed 4.99 thousand meters of cutting operations and 92.94 thousand meters of well drilling.

The company plans to mine 930 thousand tons of raw ore and produce 850 thousand tons of commercial products in 2025. Rock mass processing is expected to reach 8 thousand cubic meters, cutting operations – 5.2 thousand meters, and well drilling – 91.77 thousand meters.

Sukha Balka mine specializes in underground iron ore mining and has an annual capacity of about 3.1 million tons. It includes Yubileynaya and Frunze mines.