Powering a Remote Communications Tower in the Outback: How Hybrid Energy Cut Emissions by 94%

Reliable communications are the backbone of safe, productive mining operations - but keeping that infrastructure powered in Australia's most remote regions is no small feat. When there's no mains grid for hundreds of kilometres, every watt has to come from somewhere.

At the Telfer Gold Mine in regional Western Australia, a critical communications tower was running entirely on diesel. It worked, but it was expensive, noisy and labour intensive to maintain. So the site made the switch to a Makinex Renewables Hybrid Power System (HPS20) and the results speak for themselves: a 94% reduction in emissions, noise and vibration, alongside major savings in fuel and maintenance.

Here's how they did it.

The Challenge: Off-Grid Power in One of Australia's Most Remote Regions

The Telfer communications tower had no access to mains power. Like much of the site's critical infrastructure, it relied on a 60kVA diesel generator running continuously, day and night, to stay online.

That dependency came with real operational costs:

• Labour-intensive refuelling. Every top-up meant sending personnel deep into remote country just to keep the tank full.
• Constant maintenance. Round-the-clock generator operation meant more wear, more servicing, and more downtime risk.
• Higher fuel consumption. Running a generator 24/7 is rarely an efficient use of diesel.
• Noise and vibration. Continuous engine operation isn't ideal for equipment longevity — or for anyone working nearby.

The site needed a power solution that could run autonomously, cut operating costs, and improve sustainability - all without putting communications reliability at risk. For infrastructure this critical, "off-grid" couldn't mean "unreliable."

The Solution: A Smarter Way to Power Remote Infrastructure

Makinex Renewables supplied a Hybrid Power System 20kW/30kWh, purpose-built for exactly this kind of challenge.

The HPS20 combines three technologies into one intelligent system:

• Integrated solar generation to capture free, renewable energy on-site.
• Lithium battery storage to bank that energy for use around the clock.
• Intelligent generator management that only brings the diesel generator online when it's genuinely needed.

Instead of running continuously, the generator becomes a backup — stepping in only to top up the batteries during periods of low solar output. The result is uninterrupted power to critical infrastructure, with a fraction of the generator runtime.

One added benefit for the customer: availability. With an urgent need to replace the ageing diesel setup, Makinex was able to deliver the HPS20 without the long lead times often associated with renewable energy equipment keeping the project moving on schedule.

Key Benefits of the HPS20 at Telfer

• Quiet operation, with significantly reduced noise and vibration
• Lower fuel consumption through intelligent generator management
• Reduced maintenance requirements, thanks to fewer generator operating hours
• Fewer refuelling trips to a hard-to-reach site
• Reduced emissions through greater use of renewable solar energy
• Simple, automated operation requiring minimal day-to-day intervention
• Remote monitoring and ongoing support from the Makinex Renewables team
  
  

The Results: 94% Fewer Emissions, Far Less Maintenance

Over an eight-month monitoring period, the HPS20 was benchmarked against the site's previous diesel-only setup. The improvements were substantial:

• 94% reduction in emissions, noise and vibration
• Significant fuel savings of $80,000 thanks to sharply reduced generator runtime
• Lower servicing and maintenance demands, easing pressure on site resources
• Fewer refuelling visits, freeing up personnel for other priorities
• Reliable, uninterrupted power for mission-critical communications infrastructure

Beyond the numbers, the customer highlighted the system's overall reliability and the value of Makinex Renewables' remote monitoring and ongoing support - knowing the system's performance is being tracked and backed by a dedicated team adds real peace of mind in a location this remote.

By cutting the need for frequent servicing and fuel deliveries, the HPS20 has simplified day-to-day operations while delivering dependable, sustainable off-grid power in one of Australia's toughest mining environments.

Smarter Power for Remote Infrastructure, Anywhere

Communications towers are just one application. Site offices, security systems and other critical off-grid infrastructure all face the same challenge: how do you deliver dependable, efficient power in locations built to test the limits of conventional generation?

The Telfer Gold Mine case study shows what's possible when solar generation, battery storage and intelligent generator management work together. The result is a hybrid power system that dramatically cuts fuel consumption and maintenance demands without ever compromising on reliability.

Ready to reduce your operating costs and improve the sustainability of your remote power supply? Get in touch with the Makinex Renewables team today.