Australia’s first commercial solar plant used to displace diesel has commenced operation at mining giant Rio Tinto’s Weipa bauxite mine in Queensland.
US-based PV manufacturer and developer First Solar’s 1.7MW capacity plant is expected to generate 2.8GWh of electricity each year. It will provide up to 20% of the daytime electricity demand of the remote mine’s township and processing facilities on the Western Cape York Peninsula in Queensland.