Rio Tinto has approved construction of a new 25-megawatt solar plant at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah, bringing the mine’s total solar capacity to 30MW. The new solar plant will be located next to Kennecott’s existing 5MW 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 per year. This is equivalent to removing around 5,000 gas-powered passenger cars from the road.

Construction of the 25MW solar plant is expected to be completed next year and create short-term employment opportunities for up to 100 laborers, as well as a small number of long-term operations and maintenance roles. Bechtel Corporation will design and manage construction of the plant.

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 through initiatives such as closing its coal-powered power plant, building a 5MW solar farm, transitioning the mining fleet to renewable diesel, and using battery-electric vehicles in underground mining.

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 US producers of this critical mineral. Both copper and tellurium are vital components of photovoltaic solar panels.

Rio Tinto has committed to reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030, on the way to net zero by 2050. While 72% of the electricity the company uses comes from renewable sources, its current focus is on replacing electricity generated from gas and coal with solutions such as solar PV, wind, and other renewable technologies. This shift will significantly reduce emissions across mines, processing plants, and supporting infrastructure, and enable lower generation costs than fossil fuel alternatives, the company says.