Rio Tinto’s RBM Secures 230 MW Wind Energy Deal to Cut Emissions
Rio Tinto’s 74%-owned South African subsidiary, Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), has signed a deal with independent power producer Red Rocket South Africa for 230 MW of wind energy. The renewable power will supply RBM’s smelting and processing facilities at its Richards Bay ilmenite operation, the company announced on January 30.
Red Rocket is developing the Overberg Wind Farm near Swellendam, Western Cape. Construction is set to begin in the first half of 2025, with energy production targeted for December 2026. RBM’s 230 MW allocation from the project’s 380 MW capacity is expected to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 30% annually.
RBM has secured about 500 MW of renewable energy through power purchase agreements, including the 130-MW Bolobedu solar photovoltaic project and the 140-MW Khangela Emoyeni Wind Farm. These projects are anticipated to deliver 460 GWh per year through a wheeling agreement with Eskom Holdings.
The Overberg Wind Farm is RBM’s largest renewable energy initiative and supports Rio Tinto’s goal to cut emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050. RBM consumes about 1.8 TWh of energy annually, with electricity accounting for 80% of its greenhouse gas emissions. The combined renewable energy projects are expected to reduce RBM’s annual Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 60%, or 1.4 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, from a 2018 baseline.
