Rio Tinto Plans Solar-Battery Park for Queensland Mine

• Rio Tinto is set to fuel its bauxite mine in Queensland, Australia with a 12.4-MW solar park and integrated battery. Aiming to reduce diesel power consumption by 37% and carbon footprint by 14,000 tonnes per year, this 18 MW solar facility is due to be switched on by early 2025.

Rio Tinto has announced plans to build a 12.4-MW solar park with an integrated battery at its bauxite mine in Queensland, Australia. The photovoltaic plant, to be owned and operated by Aggreko, is expected to reduce the site's diesel power consumption by 37% and carbon footprint by 14,000 tonnes per year. The solar-battery project will add to the existing 5.6-MW solar plant and 4-MWh battery facility already supporting the mine, providing a total of 18 MW of solar generation capacity. The project is due to be switched on by early 2025.

What Will Rio Tinto's 18 MW Solar-Battery Project Achieve?

• Rio Tinto's 18 MW Solar-Battery Project will be Australia's largest integrated solar-battery hybrid plant
• It is expected to generate enough energy to cover 40% of the energy demands of the bauxite mine site
• The project is estimated to save an estimated 33,000 megawatt-hours of electricity every year
• Its battery storage will be able to provide on-demand power for when solar production is not available
• The project will reduce the site's carbon emissions and reduce its reliance on diesel fuel
• The project is expected to create more than 100 jobs in the region during its construction and operation