Rio Tinto completes construction of its solar power plant at Diavik Diamond Mine
July 02 2024 - 12:10PM
Business Wire
Rio Tinto’s Diavik Diamond Mine has completed installation of
its 3.5 megawatt capacity solar power plant in Canada’s Northwest
Territories. The project represents the largest off-grid solar
power plant across Canada’s territories.
The 6,620-panel facility is expected to generate 4.2 million
kilowatt-hours of solar energy annually, reducing diesel
consumption at Diavik by one million litres per year and cutting
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2,900 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
This is comparable to removing 630 cars from the road each
year.
The solar power plant will provide up to 25% of Diavik’s
electricity during closure work, with commercial production at the
mine expected to end in 2026 and closure to run until 2029. The
facility is equipped with bi-facial panels which not only generate
energy from direct sunlight, but also from the light that reflects
off the snow that covers Diavik for most of the year.
The solar project complements a wind power plant at Diavik,
which has been operating since 2012 and is the largest wind power
installation in Canada’s North, having generated over 195 million
kilowatt-hours of electricity since activation.
Chief Operating Officer of Diavik Diamond Mine Matthew Breen
said: “The largest off-grid solar power plant in Canada’s North is
our latest commitment to the environment we live and work in, and
will improve the energy efficiency of our operations at Diavik. We
are proud to lead the way for large-scale renewable energy projects
in Canada’s North.”
The project was supported by C$3.3 million in funding from the
Government of the Northwest Territories’ Large Emitters GHG
Reducing Investment Grant Program.
It is the first project in the Northwest Territories to benefit
from funding from the Large Emitters Grant, which sets aside a
portion of carbon tax paid by large operations such as Diavik for
projects that commit to GHG reduction projects in the
territory.
Northwest Territories’ Minister of Infrastructure Caroline
Wawzonek said: “I commend Rio Tinto for the completion of the
largest off-grid solar plant in Canada’s North at the Diavik mine.
The project demonstrates Rio Tinto’s leadership when it comes to
reducing emissions, and signals potential for leadership in the
renewable energy sector in and by the North. The Government of the
Northwest Territories is proud to have contributed to the project
through the Large Emitters GHG Reducing Investment Grant program,
which provides funding to industry to reduce emissions as part of
our made-in-the-NWT approach to the federal carbon tax.”
Construction began in February 2024, contracted to
Whitehorse-based Solvest Inc. and the Indigenous-owned Tłıchǫ
Investment Corporation, with support from Diavik. Approximately 30%
of the construction workforce came from the Tłıchǫ Investment
Corporation.
CEO of Solvest Inc. Ben Power said: “Building off the success of
their wind farm constructed in 2012, Diavik has taken another
significant step forward in demonstrating the viability of
renewable energy for Northern and off-grid mines. Solvest is proud
to have had the opportunity to work with our partners at Tłıchǫ
Investment Corporation to construct the largest off-grid solar
power plant in Canada’s North. We believe this project provides a
blueprint to facilitate the integration of solar into mines across
Canada and in Northern regions.”
Diavik is working with the Government of the Northwest
Territories and community partners to determine how its renewable
energy infrastructure can best benefit the region following
closure.
Rio Tinto is progressing decarbonisation initiatives across its
global operations, with the aim of reducing its Scope 1 and 2 GHG
emissions by 50% by 2030 and to achieve net zero across its
operations by 2050.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240702927146/en/
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Category: Diavik
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