Conducted in partnership with Neste and Viva Energy, the trial provided insights into integrating biofuels across its Western Australian network.
Neste supplied 10 million litres of renewable diesel, derived from used cooking oil, which was blended with fossil diesel to create a 20% renewable mix. This fuel was used in rail, marine, haul trucks, and mining equipment. The four-week trial reduced Rio Tinto’s Scope 1 emissions by approximately 27,000 tonnes, equivalent to removing 6,300 cars from the road for a year.
Rio Tinto Managing Director Richard Cohen emphasized that while electrification remains the long-term goal, biofuels offer a viable near-term solution to reduce emissions. Neste and Viva Energy highlighted the trial’s success in demonstrating renewable diesel’s role in decarbonizing heavy industries.
Rio Tinto continues to explore biofuels as part of its strategy to cut emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, building on its US-based biofuel initiatives and its Pongamia seed farm project in North Queensland.
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