Rio Tinto‘s Diavik Diamond Mine has completed the construction of a 3.5 megawatt solar power plant in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The project is the largest off-grid solar power plant in Canada’s territories.
The 6,620-panel installation is planned to create 4.2 million kilowatt-hours of solar energy per year, reducing Diavik‘s diesel usage by one million litres and lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2,900 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This is equivalent to removing 630 automobiles from the road annually.
The solar power facility will provide up to 25% of Diavik‘s electricity during closure, with commercial production at the mine slated to finish in 2026 and shutdown lasting until 2029. The plant is outfitted with bi-facial panels that create electricity not just from direct sunshine, but also from light reflected off the snow that covers Diavik for the most of the year.
The solar project complements Diavik‘s wind power plant, which has been in operation since 2012 and is the largest wind power development in Canada’s North, generating over 195 million kilowatt-hours of electricity since then.
Matthew Breen, Chief Operating Officer of Diavik Diamond Mine, stated: “The largest off-grid solar power plant in Canada’s North is our newest contribution to the environment in which we live and work, and it will increase the energy efficiency of our Diavik operations. We are happy to set the standard for large-scale renewable energy projects in Canada’s North.”
The project received C$3.3 million in funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories’ Large Emitters GHG Reduction Investment Grant Program.