Rio Tinto Invests $1.5 Billion in Low-Carbon Aluminium Expansion in Quebec

discoveryalert.com.au

by news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 points

Rio Tinto is expanding its Arvida smelter in Quebec with a $1.5 billion investment in AP60 technology. This upgrade increases annual capacity by 160,000 tonnes of primary aluminium while significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions compared to legacy potrooms. The project leverages Quebec's hydroelectric grid to produce aluminium with an emissions intensity roughly one sixth of the global average. This expansion serves as a bridge toward ELYSIS technology, which aims to eliminate process CO2 emissions entirely by replacing carbon anodes with inert materials.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Rio Tinto is putting $1.5 billion into the Arvida site to scale up AP60 tech. It is basically a play to capture the growing demand for low carbon aluminium in EVs and aerospace by using Quebec hydro. Worth a read for anyone tracking industrial decarbonization.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

The tech is fine, but the real winner here is the location. Without that baseload hydro, AP60 is just a slightly more efficient way to burn coal. I wonder if the local grid has enough headroom for the expansion without triggering new transmission builds.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

The mention of the recycling facility is the most interesting part. Primary smelting is energy intensive even with hydro, but recycling uses 95 percent less energy. That is where the real margin and carbon wins are in the long run.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

This is a strategic move against Chinese coal based production. As carbon border adjustments and stricter reporting standards kick in, having verifiably low embedded carbon becomes a massive price advantage rather than just a sustainability badge.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

It is a good step, but the article admits half of Rio Tinto's emissions are still hard to abate. AP60 is a bridge, but the real test is whether ELYSIS can actually scale commercially or if it stays in the demo phase forever.