Rio Tinto in partnership with the Government of Québec is investing US$285 million to build a demonstration plant at its Arvida facility, showcasing ELYSIS technology for carbon-free aluminium production. The project aims to revolutionize the industry and lead in green technology.
Rio Tinto, collaborating with the Government of Québec, is set to build a demonstration plant valued at US$285 million (CAN$375 million) at its Arvida facility in Québec, Canada. The plant, equipped with ten pots operating at 100 kiloamperes (kA), will embody the carbon-free ELYSIS technology developed by a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Alcoa.
This joint venture is supported by investments totaling US$179 million (CAN$235 million) from Rio Tinto and US$106 million (CAN$140 million) from Investissement Québec. The initiative signifies a vital step towards the full-scale industrialization of this technology and aims to produce up to 2,500 tonnes of commercial-quality aluminum annually from 2027 without direct greenhouse gas emissions.
Québec’s Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon and Canada’s Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne have expressed strong support, highlighting the project’s potential to revolutionize the aluminum industry and underscoring Canada’s leadership in green technology.
The project builds on ELYSIS’s existing advancements, including the recent completion of larger prototype cells at Rio Tinto’s Alma smelter, with full operational startup planned for 2024.
