Rio Tinto and SuperChar Bio Pellet Deal: Decarbonizing Alumina Refining in Gladstone

Rio Tinto signed a five year bio pellet supply agreement with Australian bioenergy firm SuperChar in July 2026. The deal targets emissions from alumina refineries in Gladstone, Queensland, which rely on coal fired boilers for the Bayer Process. SuperChar will build a local plant with an initial capacity of 35,000 tonnes of bio pellets per year, with first deliveries expected in 2028. The agreement follows operational trials in 2024 and 2025 that tested bio pellet combustion in existing boiler infrastructure. Rio Tinto projects a reduction of up to 90,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year from the deal, based on biomass carbon accounting rules. The structure includes a two year gap between signing and first delivery to allow for plant construction and further boiler compatibility assessments. This deal is a concrete example of how hard to abate sectors are approaching decarbonisation through staged validation and local supply chains. The location of SuperChar's plant next to Rio Tinto's refineries reduces transport emissions and cost. The 35,000 tonne initial volume is modest relative to total refinery fuel demand, but the agreement provides a pathway for scaling if co firing proves commercially viable.