Rio Tinto approves 25 MW solar plant for US copper mine
Mining company Rio Tinto has approved 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 existing 5 MW solar plant, which was completed in 2023. Together, the two solar plants will reduce Kennecott’s Scope 2 emissions by about 6%, or 21 000 t/y of CO2 equivalent.
“Expanding our solar farm is the latest step in our journey to reduce our carbon footprint. 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,” said Rio Tinto Kennecott MD Nate Foster.
Kennecott, which already has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any copper producer in the US, has reduced its carbon footprint more than 80% since 2018.
The new 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 US producers of this critical mineral. Both copper and tellurium are vital components of PV solar panels.
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