Rio Tinto Energizes 25-Megawatt Solar Plant at Kennecott Copper Operations in Utah
Rio Tinto has launched a 25-megawatt solar plant at its Kennecott copper operations in Utah, boosting the site's total solar capacity to 30 megawatts. This facility is expected to power around 1,026 homes and reduce Scope 2 emissions by approximately 20,000 tonnes of CO₂e annually. The solar panels utilize tellurium produced on-site, which is processed for semiconductor materials and used in photovoltaic panel manufacturing.
Theia Market Signal Identification - AI Assisted
Rio Tinto has energized a 25-megawatt solar plant at its Kennecott copper operations in Utah, increasing total solar capacity to 30 megawatts. This capacity can power approximately 1,026 homes and reduce Scope 2 emissions by about 20,000 tonnes CO₂e annually.
Construction began in October 2024 in partnership with Bechtel and was completed in October 2025, with energization in December. The solar panels incorporate tellurium produced at the site, which Kennecott began producing as a byproduct in 2022. Tellurium is converted into semiconductor materials by 5N Plus in Canada and supplied to First Solar for manufacturing photovoltaic panels.
Comments