Industrial, Solar - October 10, 2022
Rio Tinto Adds Solar Power
Rio Tinto’s Richard’s Bay Minerals (RBM) will be supplied with renewable solar power.
The company will partner with energy company Voltalia and local Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partners for its operation in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Under the agreement, Voltalia will begin construction of the Bolobedu Solar PV renewable energy project in 2023 at a site in the province of Limpopo. The power plant is scheduled to be complete by 2024 and will deliver an annual generation capacity of up to 300GWh. It will feed into the national power grid to supply RBM’s smelting and processing facilities through a wheeling agreement.
The renewable power supply is expected to cut RBM’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10% or 237kt CO2e per year.
“The agreement, which is a first step towards reducing RBM’s carbon emissions, is a major milestone and one that is in line with Rio Tinto’s decarbonisation strategy,” said Rio Tinto Minerals Chief Executive Sinead Kaufman in a statement. “As this solar energy project progresses, we will continue exploring additional renewable solutions that further reduce our emissions in South Africa and make Richards Bay Minerals a contributor to our net zero commitment.”
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