Rio Tinto Plc (NYSE:RIO) said Tuesday it has energized a new solar facility at its Kennecott copper mine in Utah, underscoring the company's push toward a more circular, low-carbon critical-minerals supply chain.
The newly powered 25-megawatt solar installation adds to an earlier 5MW project completed in 2023.
Together, the systems bring Kennecott's total solar capacity to 30 megawatts.
Environmental Impact
The combined solar output can supply electricity to roughly 1,026 average U.S. households each year. Rio Tinto said the project cuts Kennecott's Scope 2 emissions by about 6%.
Crews began construction of the solar plant in October 2024, in partnership with Bechtel. The team completed and commissioned the project last October and energized it in December.
The new solar array includes over 71,000 panels, containing tellurium produced at Kennecott, a critical mineral for solar technology.
Domestic Supply Chain
Kennecott began producing tellurium in 2022 as a byproduct of copper refining, making it one of only two U.S. producers of this critical mineral.
Tellurium from Kennecott is converted into thin-film semiconductor materials by 5N Plus in Canada and then supplied primarily to First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) for the manufacturing of the photovoltaic panels now installed at Kennecott, keeping the entire tellurium supply chain in North America.
"This new solar plant is more than a source of renewable power for our operations; it's a demonstration of circularity and supply chain resilience," said Nate Foster, managing director of Rio Tinto Kennecott.
"Working closely with Rio Tinto, Bechtel is proud to have delivered this project two months ahead of schedule," said Scott Austin, Bechtel's renewables and clean power leader.
RIO Price Action: Rio Tinto shares were up 0.19% at $85.29 at the time of publication on Tuesday. The stock is approaching its 52-week high of $87.34, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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