Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Each year, the TSM® Excellence Awards highlight outstanding community engagement and environmental initiatives at facilities that are implementing TSM®.
TSM Excellence Awards acknowledge innovative projects and initiatives that expand and promote sustainable development within the mining sector. Companies, facilities and individuals that have raised the bar for the industry through environmental and social programs will be recognized with TSM Excellence Awards at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum’s (CIM) Awards Gala.
The awards selection committee, comprised of members of MAC’s national Community of Interest Panel, received several excellent nominations for the awards and acknowledged the range of important sustainability initiatives being undertaken by Canadian mining companies. This year, the committee chose to highlight the projects that they felt to be truly innovative and demonstrative of leading practice.
TSM Environmental Excellence Award
Winner: Rio Tinto—Diavik—Solar Power Plant
Canada’s mining industry is working hard to produce the mined materials necessary for low-carbon technologies while innovating to reduce its own carbon footprint.
Diavik Diamond Mine’s solar power plant, installed and activated in 2024, is an innovative example of what is possible with renewable energy infrastructure in remote regions. The 6,600 panel, 3.5 megawatt plant was activated in July 2024 and represents the largest off-grid solar plant in Canada’s territories. It will provide 25 per cent of Diavik site’s power during closure activities once the mine ends production.
Credit: Rio Tinto
Diavik is currently scheduled to close in 2026, however, its reduced power needs during closure activities mean that the solar plant can take on a large proportion (up to 25 per cent) of power generation needs, reducing Diavik’s reliance on non-renewable infrastructure and allowing for it to be decommissioned as closure activities take place. The solar plant itself can then be redeployed elsewhere once it is no longer needed at Diavik.
While the plant has only been operating since July 2024, early data supports an effective output of 4.2 million kWh of energy generation per year. This amounts to a yearly diesel reduction of about 1.1 million liters – important in a remote site where all diesel fuel is trucked up via winter road – and an annual reduction of 2,900 tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to removing 630 cars from the road.
Bi-facial (double-sided) panels allow for additional energy to be generated not only from direct sunlight, but from the light reflected off the ground in the summer and snow in the winter months, with initial data showing that this reflection accounts for an additional 10% energy generated. In addition, data shows that the cold ambient temperatures increase the efficiency of the panels, with output 15% higher at –25 C than at +25 C. These findings are important in the context of the unique Northern climate in which Diavik operates and are important to communities and other large resource projects who are contemplating renewable infrastructure.
Diavik is currently engaging with community partners and governments to discuss how to redeploy the solar plant in the North following the end of closure activities at the mine site.
For a complete list of the award winners and additional details, click here.
Featured image credits: The team at Kışladağ Mine adheres to the principle of “environment and people first,” and is invested in the wellbeing of the community where Tüprag, a subsidiary of Eldorado Gold operates. After research and community consultations highlighted a shortage of spaces for children to play and learn, Tüprag invested US$2,000,000 to develop Children’s City. Credit: Eldorado Gold.
