Rio Tinto transitions to renewable diesel at Kennecott
30 October 2024 - 3:05AM
Business Wire
Rio Tinto has completed the transition from conventional to
renewable diesel for all heavy mining equipment at its Kennecott
copper mine in Utah, giving the mine one of the lowest carbon
footprints of any copper producer in the United States.
Kennecott’s fleet of 97 haul trucks and heavy machinery
equipment at the mine, concentrator, smelter, refinery and tailings
are now all fueled by renewable diesel1 sourced in the United
States. This is expected to reduce the mine’s Scope 1 emissions by
450,000 tonnes, equal to eliminating the annual emissions of
107,000 cars. In addition, the switch to renewable diesel reduces
PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns) emissions at the
tailpipes of our haul truck fleet by 40%, a reduction equivalent to
approximately 2.3 billion miles of light vehicle travel
annually.
Kennecott has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any copper
producer in the United States, thanks to recent initiatives such as
the closure of a coal-fired power plant, installation of a
5-megawatt solar farm, deployment of battery electric vehicles
underground, and the transition to renewable diesel. The
operation’s overall carbon footprint has now been reduced by more
than 80% from 2018 levels.
Speaking at an event on site with the Governor of Utah, Spencer
J. Cox, to celebrate the achievement, Rio Tinto Copper Chief
Operating Officer Clayton Walker said: “The transition to renewable
diesel is a significant step toward our decarbonisation goals at
Kennecott where we have now reduced emissions by 80%, thanks to a
range of initiatives in recent years. We remain committed to being
responsible stewards of the environment and are always looking to
find better ways to provide the materials the world needs for the
energy transition.”
Kennecott’s transition to renewable fuel will also make
low-carbon fuel more accessible in the state of Utah. In
partnership with Kennecott, HF Sinclair is dedicating two tanks to
renewable diesel for the mine with each having tank capacity of
18,000 barrels or 756,000 gallons.
HF Sinclair Executive Vice President, Commercial, Steven
Ledbetter said: “We’re proud to support Rio Tinto’s sustainability
journey with a low-carbon fuel produced at our facilities. We’re
excited to see Kennecott move from trial to full implementation and
what this could mean for other industries with evolving energy
needs.”
In 2023, Kennecott conducted an initial trial of renewable
diesel, which compared two trucks using regular diesel against two
using renewable diesel. Officials measured the trucks’
acceleration, cycle time, fuel usage, and engine inspection
reports. The renewable diesel was trialled successfully,
complementing similar test findings from Rio Tinto’s Boron mine in
California.
Combined with Rio Tinto's Boron mine - which completed the full
transition of its heavy machinery from fossil diesel to renewable
diesel in May 2023 – renewable diesel use at Kennecott replaces 11%
of Rio Tinto's global fossil diesel consumption with renewable
diesel.
Rio Tinto is targeting reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions of
50% by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
1 The renewable diesel being used is currently a combination of
90% soybean and the remainder animal fat and used cooking oil.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241028623382/en/
Please direct all enquiries to
media.enquiries@riotinto.com
Media Relations, United Kingdom Matthew Klar
M +44 7796 630 637 David Outhwaite M +44 7787
597 493
Media Relations, Australia Matt Chambers M
+61 433 525 739 Michelle Lee M +61 458 609 322
Rachel Pupazzoni M +61 438 875 469
Media Relations, Canada Simon Letendre M +1
514 796 4973 Malika Cherry M +1 418 592 7293
Vanessa Damha M +1 514 715 2152
Media Relations, US Jesse Riseborough M +1
202 394 9480
Investor Relations, United Kingdom David Ovington
M +44 7920 010 978 Laura Brooks M +44 7826 942
797 Wei Wei Hu M +44 7825 907 230
Investor Relations, Australia Tom Gallop M
+61 439 353 948 Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948
Rio Tinto plc 6 St James’s Square London SW1Y 4AD United
Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000
Registered in England No. 719885
Rio Tinto Limited Level 43, 120 Collins Street Melbourne
3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333
Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404
riotinto.com
Category - Kennecott
Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2024 to Dec 2024
Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Dec 2023 to Dec 2024