UK-based power solutions provider Aggreko has been chosen to develop two solar farms totaling 10.5 megawatts (MW) on land leased from mining group Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) on the Gove Peninsula in Australia's Northern Territory.
Aggreko will undertake the construction, ownership, and operation of these solar facilities for Rio Tinto over a period of up to 10 years. Construction is scheduled to commence this month, with commissioning expected in early 2025.
According to Rio Tinto, the solar farms, located on the territory of the Gumatj and Rirratjingu clans—indigenous traditional landowners of the Gove Peninsula—will reduce the region's annual diesel consumption by approximately 20%, or 4.5 million litres per year.
“We are working in partnership with the Northern Territory Government and Traditional Owners to ensure a smooth transition of leased land and town assets and infrastructure as Rio Tinto prepares to stop mining at Gove later this decade,” commented Shannon Price, acting manager of Rio Tinto Gove Operations.
The Gove Peninsula, currently host to bauxite mining operations by Rio Tinto, is slated to conclude its mining activities later in the decade.
In a separate development, Rio Tinto recently announced the completion of a 3.5 MW solar system at its Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, part of the company's strategy to reduce diesel usage at the site.
