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Product
of Aluminium from 5 wholly owned Quebec smelters
Alumina and specialty products
2022 figures
Our refinery and smelters are some of the most technologically advanced in the world, and are powered entirely by clean, renewable hydropower. With a daily spend of C$1 million per day to maintain and increase the competitiveness of our business, we are also the largest private investor in the region.
Our operations in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean have a long history of delivering innovation to the market and to our customers.
In 2018, we launched ELYSIS, a partnership with Alcoa, supported by Apple and the governments of Canada and Québec. ELYSIS is further developing breakthrough technology that eliminates direct greenhouse gas emissions from the aluminium smelting process, replacing them with pure, clean oxygen. In Canada alone, if this technology were to be used at every smelter in the country, it could eliminate the equivalent of 6.5 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – roughly equivalent to taking nearly 1.8 million cars off the road. ELYSIS will work towards bringing this technology to the market at its Research and Development Centre, located within Rio Tinto’s Complexe Jonquière.
In 2021, ELYSIS achieved a key milestone by successfully producing carbon-free aluminium at the Industrial Research and Development Centre in Saguenay. Work is now focused on accelerating the scale-up of the zero carbon ELYSISTM technology towards the demonstration of even larger commercial-size cells in 2023. Construction of the first commercial-scale prototype cells using ELYSISTM inert anode technology has now begun at our Alma smelter in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec.
In 2004, we launched the Regional Economic Development (RED) initiative to support long-term growth in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean region, by helping the region achieve its economic development goals
Also in 2018, our Saguenay operations helped us become the first in the industry to be certified by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) for producing “responsible” aluminium. This certification gives our customers independent assurance that the metal they use to make coffee pods, cars, smartphones and other products is made responsibly: with low-carbon emissions and to high standards on biodiversity, respect for Indigenous peoples’ rights and responsible water management. The certification also creates a traceability mechanism – the first of its kind for any industrial metal – so that companies like AB InBev can be sure that the aluminium they buy has been manufactured to meet ASI standards at every stage of the process.
Our port installations located in La Baie are certified Green Marine, a leading voluntary environmental certification program for the North American maritime transportation industry. We took this engagement to elevate our practice and improve them.
In November 2021, we announced an $87 million investment to increase our low-carbon aluminium production in Canada with 16 new smelting cells at our AP60 smelter, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
We also announced other investments to sustain our assets in the Saguenay, including C$92 million to refurbish the Isle-Maligne hydroelectric power station, the oldest in our network, commissioned 95 years ago, and C$105 million to modernise the Port-Alfred port facilities.
In March 2022, we announced the commissioning of a new remelt furnace at our Laterrière Plant, adding 22,000 metric tons of recycling capacity to our aluminium operations. The $8.4 million project has been completed over two years and will enable the development of new sustainable products combining low-carbon and recycled aluminium for customers in the North American market. The remelt furnace is equipped with highly efficient burners to minimise its carbon footprint.
Our Arvida Research and Development Centre (ARDC) has been at the forefront of innovation for the industry since 1946. We have created and patented dozens of alloys for the automotive industry: in 2019, for example, our team developed Revolution-Al™, an innovative alloy that will allow carmakers to reduce the weight of wheels, improving fuel efficiency. We have also invented other products for everyday use, including alloys used in appliances and extrusion. At our AP60 Technology Centre, we have pioneered one of the world’s most technologically advanced aluminium smelting technologies, producing 40% more aluminium per cell than traditional processes. Our operations in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean are supported by our Aluminium Operational Centre, which develops tools and systems using predictive mathematics, machine learning and advanced data modelling to make our operations safer and more productive – processing more than five million pieces of data every hour, 24 hours a day.
In Québec, we produce some of the highest quality, lowest carbon footprint aluminium in the world: 100% of our electricity used at our aluminium operations is generated from clean, renewable hydropower. Our Saguenay operations are part of our global production of RenewAl™ , the industry’s first certified low-carbon aluminium, with a footprint of 4tCO2/tAl or below. Our low-cost Canadian operations give our business a major competitive advantage, allowing our technologically advanced smelters to operate in the first decile of the industry cost curve. With six hydropower stations, we have an installed capacity of 3,131 MW and a yearly average production of 2,100 MW, making us the largest private power producer in the province.
ALMA, Canada - Rio Tinto has begun construction to increase its capacity to cast low-carbon, high-value aluminium billets by 202,000 metric tonnes at its Alma, Quebec smelter. The existing casting center will be expanded to include new state-of-the-art equipment such as furnaces, a casting pit, coolers, handling, inspection, sawing and packaging systems. Commissioning is scheduled for the fi
ALMA, Canada – Rio Tinto a débuté les travaux de construction pour augmenter de 202 000 tonnes métriques sa capacité de couler des billettes d'aluminium à faible teneur en carbone et à haute valeur ajoutée à son aluminerie d’Alma, au Québec. Le centre de coulée existant sera agrandi et accueillera de nouveaux équipements à la fine pointe de la technologie, tels que des fours, un puit de coul
MASHTEUIATSH, Canada – Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation and Rio Tinto are marking the beginning of a new era in their relationship with the signing of a first agreement named Kuessilueu, which means "the wind is turning” in Nelueun. This agreement in principle establishes the foundation for an innovative and sustainable alliance for both partners from a human, cultural and economic standpoint.The ag
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With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
Part 1 of this Privacy Policy contains the Rio Tinto Data Privacy Standard, which provides an overview of Rio Tinto’s approach to personal data processing. There is additional information in the appendices to the Data Privacy Standard, including information about disclosures, trans-border data transfers, the exercise of data subject rights and how to make complaints or obtain further information relating to Rio Tinto’s processing of your personal data.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us at digital.comms@riotinto.com).
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