Kennecott

Our Kennecott mine is a world-class, integrated copper mining operation located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich ore body of the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903, and today is one of the top producing mines in the world. Our operation includes a concentrator, smelter and refinery and tailings storage facility.

Reducing our carbon footprint

Kennecott has one of the lowest carbon footprint of any copper producer in the United States — and initiatives such as the 2019 power plant closure and a shift to renewable energy sources have removed more than 1 million tons of CO2 emissions, lowering Kennecott’s annual carbon footprint by as much as 65%. We’ve paired 1.5 million MWh of electricity with Green-e Energy certified carbon-free renewable energy certificates, primarily from wind and solar resources. And we’re trialling underground battery electric vehicles at Kennecott to improve employee health and safety, increase productivity, and reduce carbon emissions from future underground mining fleets. We’re using a battery electric haul truck and loader to evaluate performance and suitability as part of underground development work.

In October 2022, Kennecott launched a renewable diesel trial, which will compare acceleration, speed, cycle times, fuel usage, and engine inspection reports for two trucks running on renewable diesel versus two trucks running on conventional diesel.

Trialling both battery-electric vehicles and renewable diesel will ensure we can pick the solutions that are best tailored to our operational needs, based on actual data.

These are important milestones in achieving Rio Tinto’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

Improving energy efficiency

At Kennecott, we continue to look for new ways to improve energy efficiency and increase our on-site-generated power supply. The $10 million, 6.2 MW combined heat and power (CHP) system – large enough to power 6,000 average-sized homes – is one example of how we are doing this, generating enough power to supply up to 50% of the electrical needs of the refinery.

CHP, also known as cogeneration, is an efficient, clean, and reliable way to generate power from a single fuel source.

Responsible production

Our voluntary commitments and accreditations include a number of global, regional and national organisations and initiatives, and industry accreditation programs.

Kennecott currently has several environment, social and governance (ESG) partnerships and additional partnerships planned for 2023. Key partnerships include:

• Utah Clean Air: Kennecott is a founding member of this clean air initiative organisation.
• Natural History Museum of Utah: We share an educational experience about minerals, geology, and responsible mining.
• Utah Clean Energy: The Climate Innovation Center is a net-zero climate showcase.
• Salt Lake County: We have a partnership to develop several miles of trails in Butterfield Canyon, in and around 500 acres of Kennecott land, to provide more recreational opportunities to our local community.
• Loveland Living Planet Aquarium: We’re involved in community engagement to protect our waters and natural habitat.
• American Heart Association: We’re helping save and improve lives by funding a variety of programs and initiatives such as Adopt-A-Clinic and Heart & Stroke Walk.

In 2020, the Kennecott operation became the first in the world to be awarded the Copper Mark, the industry’s first and only independent assurance programme – verifying the copper is responsibly produced. Originally developed by the International Copper Association with input from stakeholders including customers, NGOs and producers, the Copper Mark assures that our copper meets the highest environmental and social standards, including a transparent and responsible supply chain.

Our Kennecott operation has also been awarded the Molybdenum Mark, an independent certification that the molybdenum from our site is responsibly produced with high environmental, social and governance standards. As a by-product from copper mines, molybdenum has a critical role to play in the green transition as a vital material in clean energy technologies and sustainable construction practices in many areas. This certification demonstrates our continued commitment and leadership to sustainability – to be a responsible producer that is committed to finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.

We are also progressing innovative ways to reduce waste from our operations and while supplying critical minerals that are crucial to the energy transition. So in May 2022, Kennecott began production of tellurium, a critical mineral used in solar panels that is helping develop a new US supply stream for the renewable energy industry.