Aboriginal energy partnership signs MOU with Rio Tinto for Western Australia renewables

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The Pilbara, traditionally one of the most prominent mining regions, has significant solar and wind resources. Image: CEFC

Mining major Rio Tinto and Aboriginal energy partnership the Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation (YEC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to pursue the development of solar and wind projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The total capacity of the potential projects under the MOU was not clarified, though Rio Tinto said in its press release that around 600-700MW of renewables generation would be required to “displace the majority of gas use” from its four operational Pilbara gas power stations, and it was currently assessing the development of around 300MW of solar projects.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

It added that the MOU will relate to some of the projects in the YEC’s Stage 1 plans for 750MW of combined solar, wind and battery storage projects.

Established in June this year, the YEC is the fruit of a partnership between the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) and Philippines-headquartered renewables developer ACEN and looks to develop renewables projects that are equitable and profitable for the traditional land occupiers in the Pilbara.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive, Simon Trott, said: “We are focused on repowering our Pilbara operations with renewable energy through the end of this decade and beyond by replacing gas and diesel with clean energy alternatives.

“The Pilbara is blessed with abundant year-round sunshine and strong winds at night, making it one of the most attractive places in the world to harness solar and wind power for energy generation. We’re excited to be deepening our partnership with the Yindjibarndi People through this agreement and look forward to working closely with them.

“We recognise we have a large carbon footprint in the Pilbara and are exploring a number of innovative solutions to help address this, including future collaborations with other Traditional Owner groups in the region.”

Earlier this year, Rio Tinto’s iron ore mining operations caused damage to an ancient rock shelter in the Pilbara, according to Australian media reports. This follows the destruction of a 46,000 year-old heritage site in 2020.

YAC chief executive, Michael Woodley, said: “Yindjibarndi Ngurra is ideally suited to developing renewable energy generation and our people are encouraged by Rio Tinto’s interest in building this capacity with us.

“This will strengthen our existing partnership and provide long term benefits for our community, while also ensuring that we can protect and preserve the areas of cultural, spiritual and environmental significance within our Ngurra.”

The question of equitable partnerships with Aboriginal communities is a pertinent one. Earlier this month PV Tech Premium spoke with the YEC as part of a feature on the relationships between renewables developers and Aboriginal and First Nations communities in Australia, who emphasised the need for equitable and financial shareholder status in projects rather than merely “social license” stakeholder status.

Another First Nations organisation, the Aboriginal Clean Energy (ACE) Partnership, was established earlier this year to develop a 900MW solar-power green hydrogen export hub in Western Australia.

Rio Tinto noted that it has held a Participation Agreement and Indigenous Land Use Agreement with YAC since 2013.

Read Next

September 15, 2025
Sunrun has priced a securitisation of leases and power purchase agreements, taking its non-recourse debt capital raised in Q3 above US$1.5 billion. 
September 15, 2025
Norwegian energy firm Statkraft has agreed to divest a portion of its renewable energy portfolio to Serentica Renewables.
September 15, 2025
UNSW spin-out company Lab360 Solar has been awarded funding from ARENA to bring its drone-based PV inspection technology to market.
September 15, 2025
Australia has reached 26.8GW of installed rooftop solar at the end of the first half of 2025, according to a report from the Clean Energy Council (CIC).
September 15, 2025
Vikram Solar has secured a contract to supply 200MW of modules to AB Energia, a domestic solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) solutions provider. 
September 12, 2025
Colombian energy supplier Celsia is seeking more than US$1.2 billion in investment to build wind and solar generation projects in Peru. 

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines