Rio Tinto Will Invest $1.1 Billion to Expand its Canadian Aluminium Plant

Canada [North America]: The Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto announced on Monday that it will invest $1.1 billion to expand its "low-Carbon" Aluminium smelter at Complexe Jonquiere in Quebec, Canada.

According to the international miner, the investment will increase yearly capacity by around 160,000 metric tonnes of primary Aluminium, which is enough to power 400,000 electric cars.

Rio, Alcoa Corp., and other Aluminium producers have introduced a variety of products with lower Carbon emissions in response to pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Such initiatives have engaged the Canadian government. It has invested in the Alcoa and Rio Tinto-developed ELYSIS technology, which totally substitutes all CO₂ emissions with Oxygen. According to Quebec's minister of business, innovation, and energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, this announcement moves us one step closer to the installation of the first ELYSIS pots, which will establish Quebec as the industry leader in greenhouse gas-free Aluminium manufacturing.

The most recent smelter expansion will receive up to $113 million in financing from the Quebec government.

Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm said, this is the most substantial investment in our Aluminium business in more than a decade. The project will take around 2.5 years to complete, with commissioning of the new pots anticipated to begin in the first half of 2026 and the smelter fully operational by the end of that year.

At its busiest, the project will provide up to 1,000 jobs, with roughly 100 of those being permanent. According to Rio Tinto, the investment has been considered for the capital expenditure for 2023 to 2025, which is still expected to be between $9 billion and $10 billion for 2024 and 2025. According to Rio, the expansion will take place as the potrooms at the nearby Arvida smelter gradually close.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed by Rio and the Canadian government, according to the miner, to improve supply chains for vital minerals, low-Carbon primary metals, and other value-added goods.

Rio Tinto has operations in 35 countries, including mines, smelters, and refineries. They also have sales offices, data centres, R&D labs, and artificial intelligence labs. The most rugged terrain on Earth is explored by our geologists. Both migratory shorebirds in Western Australia and grizzly bears in Canada are protected and conserved by our wildlife professionals. Marketing teams make certain that fundamental materials satisfy the unique requirements of customers all around the world. Also have Mark, who is maybe one of the smallest and largest robots in the entire world.

To develop and play a significant part in addressing this global issue as move towards a low-Carbon society. Rio Tinto is aware considerable scope 1 and 2 emissions, as well as material indirect scope 3 emissions. Need to convert to renewable energy sources widely, electrify everything that can be electrified, work across our entire value chain, and quicken the pace of technological advancement.

On the banks of the Rio Tinto River in Andalusia, Spain, the city was established in 1873. Honoured by all that we have accomplished. Rio Tinto is aware that the future is much more promising than the past.