Cleaner energy production and use

Rio Tinto is actively working on a number of technology solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiencies.  Some of these initiatives include:

• Since 2003 we have supported the Global Energy Technology Strategy Program (GTSP) - a long-term research program aimed at a better understanding of the role of energy technology options, advanced technology development and worldwide deployment.  This research is supported by an international group of public and private sector sponsors and is managed by Battelle, a large, pre-eminent non-profit organisation that has a staff of 19,000 scientists, engineers and support specialists. The first phase of GTSP showed that technology was the key to addressing climate change while maintaining a healthy economy. Phase 2 further explored six key technologies (including carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy) to describe defined which combinations of technologies are needed and the timing for implementation of those technologies. The work has now entered Phase 3 which is examining regional elements of technology development.
• Founding member of the FutureGen Alliance - A public-private partnership to design, build, and operate in the US, the world's first coal-fueled, near-zero emissions power plant. The commercial-scale plant will prove the technical and economic feasibility of producing low-cost electricity and hydrogen from coal while nearly eliminating emissions. It will also support testing and commercialization of technologies focused on generating clean power, capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide, and producing hydrogen.
• CO2 Cooperative Research Center for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) - The Australian based CO2CRC is one of the world's leading collaborative research organizations focused on carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and geological storage.
• COAL21 - A major initiative of the Australian Coal Association that involves a coalition of coal producers, electricity generators and the federal and state governments in developing a strategy to reduce emissions from coal fired power generation. The strategy promotes and facilitates the demonstration, commercialization and early uptake of advanced coal technologies in Australia. Rio Tinto sits on the board and provides broad technical support to the group.
• COAL21 Fund - The Australian black coal mining industry, of which Rio Tinto is a member, has committed to provide up to $AUD 1bn over the next 10 years to work with the electricity generation industry to demonstrate promising technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power stations.
• Hydrogen Energy - A joint venture between Rio Tinto and BP to develop decarbonized energy projects around the world. The venture is initially focused on hydrogen-fueled power generation, using fossil fuels and carbon capture and storage technology to produce new large-scale supplies of clean electricity.
• HIsmelt® Corporation - An iron-making subsidiary testing a patented technology, projected to achieve a 15-20 percent improvement in energy efficient and GHG reductions. The company also is investigating the use of Circofer® technology, which involves pre-heating and pre-reducing the iron ore and coal feeds in the HIsmelt® plant can improve the overall energy efficiency and greenhouse gas intensity of the process.
• Minding the Carbon Store (MTCS) Project - In Queensland, Australia, Rio Tinto Aluminium (RTA) partnered with The Carbon Pool Pty Ltd. in the "Minding the Carbon Store (MTCS)" project to abate approximately 1 million tonnes of CO2e emissions through avoided deforestation. The project, verified and approved under the Australian government's Greenhouse Gas Friendly initiative, provided payments to landowners to forego permits to clear native vegetation, avoiding the release of greenhouse gas emissions over a period of 120 years from land clearing of 12,000 hectares of native vegetation. The project has contributed valuable knowledge and capacity around validating carbon credits from biosequestration as a legitimate and viable greenhouse gas emissions offset opportunity.