The Rio Tinto Group $RIO (+1,71%)
$RIO (+1,47%) has commissioned another solar plant at its Kennecott copper site in the US state of Utah. The new power plant has an output of 25 megawatts and complements an existing plant, bringing the site's total installed solar capacity to 30 megawatts.
With the solar energy generated, the plant can supply more than 1,000 average US households per year. At the same time, the Group expects to reduce indirect, electricity-related greenhouse gas emissions by around six percent. According to the company, this corresponds to a saving comparable to the annual reduction of several thousand vehicles on the road.
A special feature of the project is the closed value chain at the site.
Tellurium has been produced in Kennecott as a by-product of copper refining since 2022. The material is processed into thin-film semiconductor materials by 5N Plus in Canada and then supplied to First Solar. $FSLR (-10,71%) . The solar module manufacturer uses the raw material for the production of photovoltaic modules, which are now used directly at the Kennecott site.
