Rio Tinto expands solar power capacity at Kennecott copper operations in Utah

Rio Tinto (RIO) has energized a new 25-megawatt solar plant at its Kennecott copper operations in Utah, showcasing a circular critical-minerals supply chain in which tellurium produced at the site is used to manufacture the panels now powering it. Together with the 5MW solar plant completed in 2023, Kennecott now has 30MW of solar capacity-enough to power approximately 1,026 average American homes annually and reduce Kennecott’s Scope 2 emissions by about 6%. This is equivalent to removing 4,400 cars from the road each year. Construction of the 25MW plant began in October 2024 in partnership with Bechtel, was completed and commissioned in October last year, and energized in December. The new solar array includes over 71,000 panels, containing tellurium produced at Kennecott, a critical mineral for solar technology.