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