Greasemonkies,

Independent power supply for each company would be fine, but synergy is always good to have...neighbour help neighbour in case of need.

In game reserves in the middle of nowhere in Tanzania, there are tent resorts for people on a safari trips (say, to see the migration of the herd of wildebeests, and the big 5 in Africa). These resorts are powered by wind and solar energy. These are up-scale tents with real furniture, bedside table lamps with energy saving bulbs, running hot water and flush toilet (in the tents). There is no power line coming in from the outside. They are in the middle of nowhere, but are completely self-sufficient with solar and wind with an emergency gas generator as a backup source, just in case, but seldom used.

Granted that their systems are small since they only cater to just a bunch of tourists, but there are industrial size equipment available for large resorts with hundred of room in the complex and factories (not smelters).

One wind turbine can generate over 1 MW, some bigger one can crank out nearly 2MW. So if you need 10MW, just get 5 big ones.

The idea of linking 2 mines together with a common local transmission line is a good one. In fact, this idea can be extended for other companies in the RoF to form a local transmission net work for several companies (to make a ring of transmission, or RoT...haha). To be good neighbours to the FN folks in the Far North, the surplus power could be offered to them as well.

This idea of local network may sit well with the Fed (and the Prov. may be?) for subsidy/grant (the 3P money?) to build this RoT network.

A private firm could also fit well in this scheme, considering the 3P money could be available for 25% of the project cost. The other 75% woul have to be funded by others (the Prov, etc...?). The private firm can provide some funding and they are allowed to charge the customers (including the FN folks/to be paid by the Fed/Prov?) for the power used.

Just my speculation. You can modify it with yours.

goldhunter