A remote Rio Tinto bauxite mine in Weipa, Queensland will be getting funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to build a solar farm that will provide 20% of its daytime electricity needs.

The first phase will be a 1.7MW solar PV system with $3.5million in funding from ARENA. A further 7.8million is expected to be allocated to the second phase. A further 5MW can be added after the first phase has been commissioned.

The solar plant, expected to be completed in late 2014, will used First Solars’ thin film panels. First Solar will lend their modules and components as well as design the system and Ingenero will do the construction.

The Weipa mines are normally powered by two diesel-engine plants which not only provide electricity to the mine but also to the town of Weipa and the neighbouring Napranum Community. Combined, the two diesel plants provide 36MWs of electricity. With the cost of diesel rising (and their complete reliance on it) Rio Tinto says it is only too aware that the cost of diesel is eating into their bottom lines.

“We expect the use of solar power will reduce Weipa’s annual diesel consumption and its carbon dioxide emissions by around 1600 tonnes,” said Weipa’s Operations General Manager Gareth Manderson. “Rio Tinto Alcan is pleased to support the addition of renewable energy to complement the existing diesel generation at Weipa.”

“For the Weipa bauxite mine, solar PV complements the existing base-load generation by providing electricity in times of peak demand and reducing the amount of diesel fuel used,” First Solar’s Vice President of Business Development for Asia Pacific Jack Curtis said. “Working together, we can provide the extensive project experience required for off-grid applications and draw on the PV module technology and utility scale experience provided by First Solar.”