Weipa

EDL’s first stand-alone solar project, which is scalable and can grow with Rio Tinto Aluminium’s (RTA) bauxite mine.

At a glance

  • Project name:

    Weipa Solar Farm

  • Owner, operator:

    EDL

  • Location:

    Weipa, Queensland, Australia

  • Generating capacity:
    1.7 MW
  • Primary fuel:

    Solar generation

About the Weipa Solar Farm

The 1.7MW Weipa solar farm is located at Rio Tinto Aluminium’s (RTA) bauxite mine and Weipa township in the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.

Developed by First Solar, the facility has been in operation since 2016. It feeds into the Weipa grid under a Power Purchase Agreement with RTA.

The solar farm is the first of a proposed two-stage project funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Stage 2 includes plans to install additional solar generation with battery storage to allow integration with the existing diesel generation operated by RTA.

EDL’s purchase of the solar farm included novation of the ARENA Funding Agreement, which gives EDL access to ARENA funding to proceed with Stage 2 (subject to further design evaluation and agreement with RTA and ARENA).

The project represents the first stand-alone solar facility in the EDL portfolio and provides the opportunity to grow with one of the world’s premier bauxite mines.

It also represents EDL’s first commercial relationship with the Rio Group.