Rio Tinto has completed construction on a new 12,800 solar panel power plant at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah, aiming to reduce its annual operational emissions by 3,000 tonnes.
The 5-megawatt solar power plant will be commissioned in the coming weeks. It will serve as a pilot project to expand Kennecott’s solar energy supply in the future.
According to Rio Tinto, Kennecott prioritises sustainable energy solutions, closing its coal-fired power plant in 2019 and transitioning to electricity paired with renewable energy certificates, resulting in a 65% reduction in carbon footprint and eliminating over a million tonnes of annual emissions.
“Rio Tinto Kennecott has a key role to play in supporting the energy transition. We supply U.S. companies with the copper and tellurium they need to produce solar panels, wind turbines, and conductors. We also continue to take steps to further decarbonize our business, from our battery electric vehicle trial to our renewable diesel trial and now to our very own solar plant,” Rio Tinto Kennecott Managing Director Nate Foster said.
The 30-acre solar array was strategically placed to minimise visual and environmental impacts, surrounded by industrial operations and railway berms, away from residential and commercial zones.
