Leading the way with the delivery of the new maximum capacity 34MW photovoltaic solar farm

With the increased focus on decarbonisation and alternative energy sources, Rio Tinto and Calibre are leading the way with the delivery of the new maximum capacity 34MW photovoltaic solar farm located beside the Gudai-Darri mine in the Eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia. Calibre played an important role to assist with the delivery of the new Gudai-Darri solar farm led by Ziad Boufajreldin, BScCE, (Project Manager) and Jose Duarte (Lead Electrical Engineer).

George Nuich (Executive General Manager - Mining and Infrastructure), Josh Matthews (Lead Environmental Advisor) and Matthew Reeder (Head of Decarbonisation) were fortunate to visit the solar farm earlier this month and walk through this amazing and exciting new facility.

The output from the solar farm is estimated to cover one third of the mine’s electricity demand during peak solar power generation periods. This important project is Rio Tinto’s first solar power farm in the Pilbara, and comprises of approximately 82,000 panels covering an area of 80 hectares.

Matt Reeder (Head of Decarbonisation) shared: "We are excited to be a part of this technologically advanced project which will make operations more sustainable through integration of renewable energies. Working with our clients to find innovative ways to reduce the carbon impact of their operations and improve their environmental performance is a key area of growth for our business.”

Our Project Manager (Ziad Boufajreldin) and Lead Electrical Engineer (Jose Duarte) and the Calibre delivery team have done a fantastic job with the management and delivery of the Gudai-Darri solar farm. They led the project from inception to completion and have positioned Calibre as a leader within decarbonisation and the design, delivery and commissioning of future solar farms.