Rio Tinto invests $98m to build new solar farm for Koodaideri Project

Rio Tinto will be committing to renewable energy to power operations at its Koodaideri mine in the Pilbara with a $98 million investment to build a new solar farm together with a lithium-ion battery storage system.

This renewable energy project will include a 34MW solar photovoltaic plant and a 12MWh battery energy storage system in Tom Price.

The solar farm will comprise of about 100,000 solar panels that will cover approximately 105 hectares of land. On the other hand, the battery storage system will provide spinning reserve generating capacity which will support a stable and reliable electricity network.

“The construction of our first solar plant in the Pilbara is a significant milestone for the business and an important step in reducing our carbon footprint in the region.

“We are investigating additional renewable energy options in the Pilbara, as well as other opportunities to reduce emissions across our entire global portfolio, building on the 43 per cent reduction on absolute greenhouse gas emissions since 2008,” Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Chris Salisbury said.

The new solar farm will supply all of Koodaideri’s electricity demand during the peak solar power generation as well as about 65 per cent of the mining operation’s average electricity demand.

Once operational, the solar farm and battery storage system will help reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 90,000 tonnes in comparison to the conventional gas powered generation.

The Koodaideri Iron Ore Project is located approximately 35 kilometres north-west of Rio Tinto’s Yandicoogina mine and about 110 kilometres from Newman.

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Source: Rio Tinto; Renew Economy; International Mining; The Sydney Morning Herald; Mining Magazine