Commerce Resources Corp. (CVE:CCE) said a study has indicated conditions look suitable for a wind power development at its Ashram rare earth project.
The development, if sanctioned, could provide some of the mining project's energy requirements.
The company said a preliminary evaluation of local and regional wind data to the west of Lac LeMoyne indicated favourable wind speed for renewable power development.
“Wind power is a renewable resource that should be considered for several reasons, including reducing overall energy costs for the Ashram project,” said Chris Grove, president of Commerce Resources.
The preliminary wind speeds recorded in the study were higher than those for the Diavik mine, which is another mining site, in the North-Western Territories, that makes use of wind power.
The wind farm at Diavik operates four 2 megawatt (MW) ENERCON turbines, thus providing a good model for the Ashram project in terms of power capacity and applicable turbine models.
The ENERCON turbines at Diavik, as well as Raglan, have been designed to operate in temperatures as low as -40°C and have been demonstrated to be practical, reliable, and cost effective in such environments, the company said.
Based on the encouraging findings of the study, the mining and exploration company is negotiating a collaborative agreement with TUGLIQ, a specialist off-grid power production solutions provider, in order to prepare a more definitive assessment of the wind power generation potential at Ashram.