MADAGASCAR: Rio Tinto connects a solar power plant to its Fort-Dauphin mine
In south-east Madagascar, a new photovoltaic solar power plant will supply electricity to the Fort-Dauphin mining site operated by the Anglo-Australian group Rio Tinto. The plant, financed and built by CrossBoundary Energy, has a capacity of 8 MWp.
QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM) is starting its energy transition with solar power. The mining company owned by Anglo-Australian giant Rio Tinto has just inaugurated a photovoltaic solar power plant to supply electricity to its Fort-Dauphin mine. The event was attended by Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina.
The new power station at Ehoala is equipped with 14,640 solar panels capable of delivering 8 MWp. The energy infrastructure was created under a partnership signed in 2021 between Rio Tinto and investor CrossBoundary Energy. The Nairobi-based company committed to supplying 30 MW of renewable energy to the QMM facilities.
The recently inaugurated solar power plant is the first phase, to be followed by a second 6 MWp plant. CrossBoundary will also build a wind farm comprising 19 turbines with a combined capacity of 19 MW. For Madagascar’s Head of State, such initiatives contribute to the decarbonisation of the island’s economy. “The Malagasy government recognises the vital importance of an adaptable industry that contributes to the effort to combat climate change. As a nation, we are committed to being pioneers in this transition, demonstrating our determination to protect our country and offer a sustainable future to our fellow citizens”, said President Andry Rajoelina.
At Fort-Dauphin in the Anosy region, QMM produces ilmenite, a major source of titanium dioxide. This product is mainly used as a white pigment in products such as paints and paper. The Rio Tinto subsidiary also produces zirsill, used to make ceramic tiles and electronic products, and monazite, a rare earth mineral used in renewable energy technologies such as high-power permanent magnets for wind turbines and electric vehicles.
