Two new 5.25 MW solar farms will be built on Gumatj and Rirratjingu country on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory, as Rio Tinto works to secure a more sustainable power supply for the region beyond mining.

The solar farms will be built on Rio Tinto leases, following agreement with the Gumatj and Rirratjingu Traditional Owner Groups on the location of the facilities, and will help underpin a low-carbon future for the Gove community after mining operations cease, towards the end of the decade.

Aggreko will construct, own, and operate the solar farms for Rio Tinto for up to 10 years, beginning construction in July 2024 and with completion scheduled for early 2025. The two sites will have combined capacity of 10.5 MW.

When complete, the solar farms are expected to reduce the region’s annual diesel consumption by about 20%, or 4.5 million l a year, and lower annual carbon emissions by over 12 000 t, which is the equivalent of taking 2800 internal combustion engine cars off the road.