GHG Emissions, Industrial, Solar - November 13, 2024
Rio Tinto Approves Utah Solar Plant
Rio Tinto, a mining company, approved the construction of a new 25-MW solar plant at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah, bringing the mine’s total solar capacity to 30 MW.
The new solar plant will be located next to Kennecott’s 5-MW solar plant, which was completed in 2023. Together, the two solar plants will reduce Kennecott’s Scope 2 emissions by approximately 6%, or 21,000 tons, of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.
Bechtel Corporation will design and manage construction of the new solar plant, which is expected to be completed in 2025.
Kennecott, which already has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any copper producer in the U.S., has reduced its carbon footprint over 80% since 2018 through initiatives such as closing its coal-powered power plant, building a 5-MW solar farm, transitioning the mining fleet to renewable diesel, and using battery electric vehicles in underground mining.
“Expanding our solar farm is the latest step in our journey to reduce our carbon footprint,” Rio Tinto Kennecott Managing Director Nate Foster said in a statement. “Together with other measures we’ve taken, such as closing a coal-fired power plant, deploying battery electric vehicles underground, and our recent transition to renewable diesel, we have reduced our emissions by millions of tons over the past few years. We’re demonstrating every day that sustainable practices and resource production can go hand-in-hand to benefit our company as well as our community.”
The 210-acre solar array will include more than 71,000 panels, which contain tellurium produced by Kennecott, a byproduct of mining and refining copper. In 2022, Kennecott became one of only two U.S. producers of this critical mineral. Both copper and tellurium are vital components of photovoltaic solar panels.
Rio Tinto committed to reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030. While 72% of the electricity the company uses comes from renewable sources, the company’s current focus is on replacing electricity generated from gas and coal with solutions like solar PV, wind and other renewable technologies. This shift will significantly reduce emissions across its mines, processing plants, and supporting infrastructure and enable lower generation costs than fossil fuel alternatives.
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