Rio Tinto to Build 25MW Solar Plant at Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah
Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has approved the construction of a new 25-megawatt (MW) solar plant at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah, increasing the mine's total solar capacity to 30MW. The new solar facility will be located next to Kennecott's existing 5MW solar plant, completed in 2023.
Together, the two solar plants are expected to reduce Kennecott's Scope 2 emissions by approximately 6%, equivalent to 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This reduction is comparable to removing around 5,000 gas-powered passenger cars from the road annually.
The construction of the 25MW solar plant is slated for completion next year and will create short-term employment for up to 100 workers, as well as a small number of long-term operations and maintenance roles. Bechtel Corporation will be responsible for the design and management of the plant's construction.
The 210-acre solar array will include over 71,000 panels, which will feature tellurium—a byproduct of copper mining and refining—produced by Kennecott. In 2022, Kennecott became one of only two U.S. producers of tellurium, a critical mineral for photovoltaic solar panels. Both copper and tellurium are essential components in solar technology, underlining the project's importance to sustainable energy initiatives.
