Posted by Daniel Gleeson on 3 July 2024
Two new 5.25 MW photo voltaic farms shall be in-built Gumatj and Rirratjingu nation on the Gove Peninsula in Australia’s Northern Territory, as Rio Tinto works to safe a extra sustainable energy provide for the area past mining, the corporate stated. – stated.
The photo voltaic farms shall be constructed on Rio Tinto leases, in accordance with the settlement of the Gumatj and Rirratjingu Traditional Owner Groups on the situation of the services, and can assist assist a low carbon future for the Gove neighborhood after the cessation of mining operations, in the direction of the tip of the last decade.
Aggreko will construct, personal and function the photo voltaic farms for Rio Tinto for as much as 10 years, beginning building in July 2024 and with completion scheduled for early 2025. The two websites has a mixed capability of 10.5 MW.
Acting General Manager of Rio Tinto Gove Operations, Shannon Price, stated: “The Gove photo voltaic challenge is a part of our shared imaginative and prescient with Traditional Owners to go away a constructive legacy for Gove communities. Peninsula after bauxite mining has ceased. We are excited to work with the Gumatj and Rirratjingu households to offer a possibility to safe different electrical energy era property of their nation and talk about future power infrastructure commercialization alternatives.
“The photo voltaic farms are additionally a part of our ongoing dedication to decarbonise our enterprise. Once operational, they’re anticipated to cut back the annual CO2e emissions of our Gove operations by as much as 17%. We intention for this farms will assist sustainable energy for the area past mining.”
Once accomplished, the photo voltaic farms are anticipated to cut back annual diesel consumption within the area by about 20%, or 4.5 million liters a yr, and decrease annual carbon emissions by greater than 12,000 t.
George Whyte, Managing Director of Aggreko Asia Pacific, stated his crew had delivered many comparable purposes to Gove and their focus now was to work safely and respectfully with native land custodians.
This information comes a day after Rio Tinto’s diamond mine Diavik introduced the completion of the set up of a 3.5 MW capability solar energy plant in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
The challenge represents the biggest off-grid solar energy plant in your entire Canadian territory, with a 6,620-panel facility anticipated to generate 4.2 million kWh/y of photo voltaic power, decreasing Diavik’s diesel consumption by 1 million liters per yr and may lower greenhouse gasoline (GHG). ) emissions of two,900 t of CO2 equal.
The solar energy plant will present as much as 25% of Diavik’s electrical energy in the course of the shutdown, with business manufacturing on the mine anticipated to finish in 2026 and the shutdown working till 2029. The facility is provided with bi-facial panels that not solely generate power from direct daylight, but additionally from gentle reflecting off the snow that covers Diavik for many of the yr.
The photo voltaic challenge helps a wind energy plant in Diavik, which has been working since 2012 and is the biggest wind energy set up in Canada’s North, producing greater than 195 million kWh of electrical energy since activation.
The challenge is supported by C$3.3 million ($2.4 million) in funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories’ Large Emitters GHG Reducing Investment Grant Program.
Construction started in February 2024, contracted to Solvest Inc. primarily based in Whitehorse and the Indigenous-owned Tłıchǫ Investment Corporation, with assist from Diavik. Approximately 30% of the development staff are from the Tłıchǫ Investment Corporation.