The copper operation at Utah’s Kennecott mine is now supported by a new 25 MW solar project. Rio Tinto also installed a 5 MW solar project at the site in 2023.
A copper telluride filter cake – the final product – at the Kennecott Tellurium Plant. Credit: Rio Tinto
Construction of the 25 MW plant began in October 2024 in collaboration with Bechtel, and the project was energized in December 2025. The new solar array includes more than 71,000 panels containing tellurium, a crucial mineral for solar technology, produced in Kennecott.
Kennecott began producing tellurium as a byproduct of copper refining in 2022, making it one of only two U.S. producers of this crucial mineral. Kennecott tellurium is converted into thin-film semiconductor materials by 5N Plus in Canada and then supplied primarily to First Solar for the production of the photovoltaic panels now installed at Kennecott, keeping the entire tellurium supply chain in North America.
“This new solar power plant is more than a source of renewable energy for our operations; it is a demonstration of circularity and supply chain resilience,” said Nate Foster, Managing Director of Rio Tinto Kennecott. “By mining copper and tellurium here at Kennecott, both classified as critical minerals in the United States, and using that tellurium in the panels that power our site, we are proving how domestic critical minerals support renewable energy production. This approach strengthens the North American supply chain for critical resources, supports national energy security and strengthens our commitment to a low-carbon future.”
Read SPW’s story on telluride, which highlights Kennecott’s mining operations.
