Energy company Aggreko won a bid to build, own and operate the 12.4 megawatt solar farm and 8.8MW BESS, as part of a long-term power purchase agreement with Rio Tinto.

The renewable energy project will supplement diesel-generated power Aggreko is supplying.

Early works have started on the Amrun solar farm, which is expected to be operational by early 2025, with no interruption to local power services.

Amrun is located on traditional lands of the Wik and Wik-Waya people.

Once built, the Amrun solar farm will provide about 21 gigawatt hours of renewable power per annum.

That will reduce diesel electricity consumption by 37%, or about 5.5 million litres of diesel fuel per year.

Annual CO2 emissions will drop about 14,000t, equivalent to taking 3100 internal combustion engine cars off the road.

Rio Tinto general manager Weipa operations Shona Markham said construction of the solar farm and BESS was an important milestone for Weipa operations and would contribute to the company's commitment to reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions.

Aggreko Asia Pacific managing director George Whyte said the remote location and power effectiveness made Aggreko the ideal company to build, own, operate and maintain the Amrun solar farm.

He said his team had delivered many similar applications and their focus was completing the job on time and safely.

"At Aggreko, we pride ourselves on our exceptional safety record," he said.

"The existing power stations' performance is essential for all Weipa operations and as we look into the future, we are confident that the introduction of solar will help both companies achieve their decarbonisation targets."