BHP : Switching on the substation that’s powering Jansen

23 March 2024

Construction at the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan, Canada is nearing the halfway point, and a reliable source of energy is needed to power the mine's essential infrastructure in readiness for production.

The amount of power required to operate a potash mine may not be immediately obvious, but electricity is essential for processing, material transportation, ventilation systems, lighting and other auxiliary services.

"Until now, the Jansen site's electricity requirements have been supported by a temporary feed from SaskPower, which is the primary power utility in our province," explains Sabri Hamida, Area Manager for Port and Non-Process Infrastructure.

"As we move closer to a number of key construction milestones including hoist commissioning, we've reached the point where onsite supply of high voltage power is critical for the development of the mine - both on the surface and underground."

On a mild winter's day during February, Jansen's very own 230 kilovolt (kV) substation came to life with a brief zap. It was the culmination of years of planning and months of dedicated support from SaskPower and within Team Jansen.

A major advancement for the Jansen site, the 230kV substation is similar to a city's power grid which urban residential homes connect to for reliable supply of power.

Safely delivering one of the world's largest and most sustainable potash mines requires careful planning, including of the site's anticipated energy consumption requirements now and in the decades to come once operations commence.

"The 230kV substation is really heart of the project because without it, we wouldn't be able to run Jansen at full capacity, said Arlene Baquiran, Deputy Commissioning Manager.

"It feeds everything downstream from it, and not only for Jansen Stage 1 but future stages as well. The 230kV is the first point where electricity we've secured enters the site boundaries."

As is standard for any land disturbance, BHP's environment team performed a habitat review to ensure no wildlife was displaced.

With the 230kV substation now successfully commissioned, Team Jansen's focus has moved to energizing the 34.5kV substation - the final piece of the puzzle that's powering Jansen.