Rio Tinto has installed Canada’s largest off-grid solar power plant at its Diavik diamond mine on the edge of Arctic Circle.
It will provide up to a quarter of the electricity needed for production until the mine reaches the end of its life in 2026, and for the closure, which will take another three years.
The Australian miner has installed over 6,600 two-sided panels, designed to capture direct sunlight and reflections from the snow.
It is expected to generate 4.2m kilowatt-hours of solar energy annually, reducing diesel use and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 630 cars.
The mine, which has been operating since 2012, also has one of Canada’s largest wind power installations.
Matthew Breen, Diavik’s COO said: “We are proud to lead the way for large-scale renewable energy projects in Canada’s North.”
Northwest Territories’ minister of infrastructure Caroline Wawzonek said: “The project demonstrates Rio Tinto’s leadership when it comes to reducing emissions, and signals potential for leadership in the renewable energy sector in and by the North.”
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