Kennecott, Rio Tinto's copper operations, will replace its entire fossil diesel consumption with renewable diesel from 2024. Kennecott’s fleet of 90 haul trucks and all heavy machinery will begin to utilise renewable diesel along with consumption from the concentrator, smelter, and refinery in the first quarter of 2024.
Rio Tinto Copper Chief Operating Officer Clayton Walker said: “Transitioning Kennecott completely to renewable diesel builds on a suite of decarbonisation initiatives that have reduced carbon emissions from the operation by 65% since 2019."
HF Sinclair Executive Vice President, Commercial, Steven Ledbetter said: “As a long-time supplier of Rio Tinto and a fellow operator in the Rocky Mountain region, we are pleased to support Rio Tinto’s sustainability journey with a low-carbon fuel made at our facilities."
Rio Tinto Chief Decarbonisation Officer Jonathon McCarthy said: “Combined with Rio Tinto's U.S. Borax operation - which completed the full transition of its heavy machinery from fossil diesel to renewable diesel in May 2023 - this initiative would replace 11% of Rio Tinto's global fossil diesel consumption with renewable diesel. The use of drop-in fuel such as renewable diesel will allow Rio Tinto to reduce emissions in the short term, complementing ongoing work towards the commercial readiness of longer-term technical solutions such as battery electric haul trucks.”
Rio Tinto is targeting reductions in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions of 50% by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished
