Rio Tinto to utilise solar energy in Gladstone

Rio Tinto has announced it has agreed buy all electricity from Australia’s largest solar power project near Gladstone. The 1.1 GW Upper Calliope Solar Farm will provide renewable power to Rio Tinto’s Gladstone operations.

The agreement will bring more renewable power into the Gladstone industrial hub. The company said the agreement marks another step towards Rio Tinto’s climate goal of halving its global Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions this decade (from 2018 levels). If combined with more renewable power and suitable firming, transmission and industrial policy, it could also provide the core of a solution to repower Rio Tinto’s three Gladstone production assets — the Boyne aluminium smelter, the Yarwun alumina refinery and Queensland Alumina Limited.

Under a new power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with European Energy Australia, Rio Tinto will buy all power generated from the Upper Calliope solar farm for 25 years. The plant will be built and operated by European Energy, at a site about 50 km south-west of Gladstone, pending development and grid connection approvals.

Once approved and developed, Upper Calliope would have the potential to lower Rio Tinto’s operating carbon emissions by 1.8 million tonnes per year.

“This agreement is a first important step in our work to repower our Gladstone operations and illustrates our commitment to keeping sustainably powered industry in Central Queensland,” said Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm. “The task remains challenging, but we have a pathway to provide the competitive, firmed power our Gladstone plants need and we are continuing to work hard with all stakeholders, including the Queensland and Australian Governments, on getting there.

“Competitive capacity, firming and transmission are critical to developing a modern energy system that can ensure more large-scale renewables development in Queensland and help guarantee the future of Australian industry.”

Once approved, construction of the Upper Calliope plant is targeted to start in 2025 or 2026, and when complete, it will provide enough electricity to meet about 5% of Queensland’s current demand. The plant, which is expected to take two years to construct, will cover 2400 hectares, employ 1000 people during construction and support 100 direct and indirect jobs when operating.

Rio Tinto also announced in December its plans to build a solar farm and battery storage to provide renewable energy for its Arum bauxite operations in Weipa.

Image credit: iStock.com/Lame Photographer