Distributed Energy Resources, Industrial, Solar  -  March 14, 2025

Rio Tinto Adds Solar, Battery

Rio Tinto signed two new solar and battery hybrid services agreements (HSAs) to increase the supply of reliable, competitively priced electricity to Rio Tinto’s Gladstone aluminum operations in Queensland.

Through the agreements signed with Edify Energy, Rio Tinto will purchase 90% of the power and battery storage capacity generated by the Smoky Creek & Guthrie’s Gap Solar Power Stations for 20 years. Edify Energy will build, own, and operate the projects.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2025 and completion is targeted for 2028. Rio Tinto’s three production assets in the Gladstone region are the Boyne aluminum smelter, the Yarwun alumina refinery and the Queensland alumina refinery.

Located in Central Queensland, the adjacent Smoky Creek & Guthrie’s Gap Solar Power Stations will together feature 600 MWac of solar and 600 MW/2,400m MWh of battery storage.

"These agreements are integral to repowering our Gladstone aluminum operations with affordable, reliable and lower carbon energy for decades to come,” said Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Australia, Kellie Parker in a statement. “For the first time, we have integrated crucial battery storage in our efforts to make the Boyne aluminum smelter globally cost-competitive, as traditional energy sources become more expensive. We continue to investigate further renewable energy investments to repower our Gladstone aluminum operations.”

When combined with the 2.2 GW of renewable wind and solar PPAs Rio Tinto announced for its Gladstone operations in 2024, the Smoky Creek & Guthrie’s Gap agreements help secure a total of 2.7 GW of future wind and solar energy in Queensland.

The four contracted projects are expected to supply 80% of Boyne smelter’s annual average electricity demand, reducing the smelter’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 70% or 5.6 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. 

Rio Tinto's 90% share of the Smoky Creek & Guthrie's Gap battery system capacity amounts to 2,160 MWh, which will provide about 30% of the firming required to repower the Boyne smelter with renewable energy. It will store green energy for reliable use during peak demand periods or low solar output, which will improve stability and resilience of Queensland’s power network.

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