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Our BC Works operation, in Kitimat, British Columbia, comprises a newly modernised aluminium smelter and the Kemano Powerhouse, a hydropower facility supplied by the Nechako reservoir. From Canada’s west coast, we transport our products by ship and rail, primarily to customers in Japan, South Korea and the United States.
With a total contribution of over C$517.6 million to the British Columbia economy in 2023, we are one of the single largest contributors to the province’s manufacturing GDP. BC Works is certified by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) for producing aluminium to the highest internationally recognised standard for responsible environmental, social and governance practices.
When BC Works opened in 1954, it was the world’s largest smelter powered by hydroelectricity. Today, following a C$6 billion investment to modernise the smelter, the aluminium we produce here has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. The upgrade, completed in 2016, included installing smelting equipment that uses our state-of-the-art AP Technology, making BC Works not only more efficient and commercially competitive but also cleaner: we now produce twice as much aluminium as we did previously, with half the greenhouse gas emissions.
Benefits of the modernised smelter, one of the largest private construction projects in British Columbia’s history, include:
Our Kemano Powerhouse receives water from the Nechako Reservoir via a single tunnel that is more than 65 years old, and is even today the largest high-pressure hydropower generation facility in North America. In 2017, we announced an investment of C$600 million in a second tunnel at Kemano to ensure that the power to our smelter remains secure and sustainable.
A tunnel boring machine, named tl’ughus by the Cheslatta Carrier Nation after a legendary giant monster snake, cut 7.6 kilometres through the rock in remote mountains over 30 months, completing the route for a 16 kilometre tunnel that was started in the early 1990s. The project was completed in May 2022.
In 1999, BC Works became the first industrial facility in British Columbia to obtain what is called a “multi-media environmental permit” from the provincial government. This permit sets standards of operation and requires annual reporting on a variety of performance measures: air emissions, ambient air quality, effluents, groundwater, vegetation and waste management. The yearly performance of the smelter is published in our operation’s Annual Environmental Report.
We are focused on minimising the impacts of our operation on the environment. Our Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program, which is based on an Adaptive Management Approach that commits us to extensive monitoring, regular reporting and taking measurable actions, as needed, monitors and reports on sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from our smelter.
We also host a consultation community group, the Kitimat Public Advisory Committee (KPAC), which meets on a quarterly basis and reviews BC Works’ environmental performance and business operations.
From 2019 to 2024, we partnered with the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) to establish the NSERC/Rio Tinto Senior Industrial Research Chair in Climate Change and Water Security. This C$1.5 million dollar project advanced research programs in the region and provided first-hand learning opportunities for students. It included water temperature monitoring in regulated and unregulated sites across the Nechako Watershed and a comprehensive weather station in place to monitor storms, and record the temperature, humidity, snow depth, wind speed and direction, solar radiation and barometric pressure.
Monthly report
Rio Tinto BC Works is conducting a consultation on its Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Program. Launched in 2014, the SO2 EEM Program is designed to measure the amount of SO2 being produced by the smelter, monitor potential effects on human health, soil, vegetation, or lakes, and put controls in place to reduce harm to the environment. The Program is entering its third phase and the current consultation aims at answering questions, addressing concerns and gathering feedback with respect to the changes proposed to the Program.
Questions or concerns about the SO2 EEM Program or the consultation? Reach out to us at BCWorksInfo@riotinto.com.
Kitimat, CANADA – Rio Tinto is marking the 70th anniversary of its BC Works operation, celebrating seven decades of significant contributions to the aluminium industry and the Kitimat community. As the only aluminium smelter operator in British Columbia, Rio Tinto has established itself as a cornerstone of the local economy and a leader in responsible high-quality aluminium production.Rio Tinto BC
KITIMAT, Canada – Rio Tinto will invest more than CAN$135 million to replace the alumina conveyor at its Kitimat plant, representing the most substantial investment in the operation since the smelter’s modernization a decade ago. The alumina conveyor is essential for Kitimat’s operations, serving as the conduit for transporting approximately 800,000 tonnes of raw alumina per year on a 1.1-kil
KITIMAT, Canada – Rio Tinto has commissioned a second tunnel to carry water into the Kemano Powerhouse in British Columbia, marking the end of the Kemano T2 hydropower project. The new, 16-kilometre tunnel was filled up with water and produced its first megawatt of electricity in July 2022 after its construction was completed in May 2022. Both T1 and T2 are now operating together, ensuring the lon
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