Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation to collaborate on exploring renewable energy projects in Yindjibarndi in Pilbara, Western Australia.
Yindjibarndi Energy is a partnership between the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation and ACEN Corp, Philippine-based Ayala Group’s listed energy platform.
Under the MOU, the companies will initially focus on the potential development of a solar power generation facility to supply energy to Rio Tinto. The companies will also assess wind, solar, and battery energy systems storage opportunities.
Rio Tinto said it recognises it has a large carbon footprint in Pilbara and is exploring several potential solutions to lower its emissions, including collaborations with the Traditional Owners.
“We are focused on repowering our Pilbara operations with renewable energy through the end of this decade and beyond by replacing gas and diesel with clean energy alternatives,” Rio Tinto Iron Ore CEO Simon Trott said.
“The Pilbara is blessed with abundant year-round sunshine and strong winds at night, making it one of the most attractive places in the world to harness solar and wind power for energy generation. We’re excited to be deepening our partnership with the Yindjibarndi People through this agreement and look forward to working closely with them.”
The collaboration supports Rio Tinto’s commitment to reduce its Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) emissions by 50 percent by 2030 across its global operations, with about US$7.5 billion (A$11.88 billion) planned to be spent on decarbonisation projects, largely in the second half of the decade. The mining company targets to reach net zero by 2050.
“Yindjibarndi Ngurra is ideally suited to developing renewable energy generation and our people are encouraged by Rio Tinto’s interest in building this capacity with us,” Yindjibarndi Energy CEO Michael Woodley said.
Rio Tinto to Increase Gudai-Darri Iron Ore Production
Earlier, Rio Tinto announced it seeks to boost the production capacity of its Gudai-Darri iron ore mine in Pilbara to 50 million tonnes annually at an estimated cost of US$70 million (A$130 million) through gradual productivity gains.The mine draws energy from a solar farm which has about 83,000 solar panels made up of photovoltaic cells to turn sunlight into electricity. The solar farm has a capacity of up to 34 megawatts.
Rio Tinto aims to increase the capacity of the new mine through plant upgrades including chutes and conveyor belts and using an existing incremental crushing and screening facility.
The Gudai-Darri mine started production last year and reached its targeted annual production capacity of 43 million tonnes in less than 12 months since the first ore.
“Rather than taking a capital-intensive approach to replicate existing infrastructure, we have now identified a low-capital pathway to creep capacity to 50 million tonnes a year,” Rio Tinto Iron Ore Managing Director of Pilbara Mines, Matthew Holcz, said.
“What we have learnt during the rapid ramp-up of Gudai-Darri has given us the confidence to find better ways to increase capacity at our newest and most technologically advanced mine.”
The Gudai-Darri mine utilises autonomous equipment such as trucks, drills, water carts, and trains. The mine also has a rotable bucketwheel reclaimer, Rio Tinto’s own patented reclaimer for safer and more efficient maintenance, and a robotic ore sampling laboratory.
