Rio Tinto has begun commissioning a $1.5 billion expansion at its Complexe Arvida facility in Quebec. The project uses AP60 smelting technology and hydroelectric power to significantly lower the carbon footprint of primary aluminum production compared to global industry averages. The facility aims to increase annual production by 160,000 metric tons. This expansion serves as a bridge toward the ELYSIS carbon-free anode technology, which seeks to eliminate direct CO2 emissions from the smelting process entirely.
