Rio Tinto is set to develop an 80 mega-watt (MW) solar farm near Karratha, Western Australia, to supply renewable energy to the company’s iron ore operations in the Pilbara region.
The farm will be built on Ngarluma Country and will be developed in partnership with the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation (NAC).
The solar farm is the first proposed project the Ngarluma people and Rio Tinto will pursue after a memorandum of understanding was signed to explore opportunities for renewable energy projects on Ngarluma Country.
The project is expected to be located next to Rio Tinto’s existing Yurralyi Maya power station, also near Karratha.
“We’re incredibly proud to progress this project along with the Ngarluma people and are grateful for their effort and support to reach this important milestone,” Rio rail, port and core services managing director Richard Cohen said.
“Developments like this are about more than reducing emissions – they’re critical for economic opportunities and strengthening our connection with the Ngarluma People.
“This project underscores the significance of our long-term relationship with the Ngarluma people and demonstrates our commitment to working together to contribute to a more sustainable future.”
Rio expects the project to potentially displace up to 11 per cent of natural gas currently used for generation across Rio Tinto’s integrated mining operations in the Pilbara, reducing its emissions by up to 120 kilo-tonnes of CO2 emissions per year once complete.
It is estimated that 600–700MW of renewable energy will be required by 2030 to displace the majority of gas use across Rio Tinto’s Pilbara power network, while additional renewable energy will be required to support widespread fleet electrification, which is expected after 2030.
“The solar farm project will enable NAC to realise sustainable revenues, increase contracting opportunities and contribute to a positive environmental impact in the Pilbara,” NAC chief executive officer Ljuba Mojovic said.
“This project development is a testament to the enduring strength of our special relationship with Rio Tinto and our shared commitment to working together to create a more sustainable future.”