Collaborating with Rio Tinto to produce world’s greenest aluminum

The Government of Canada and Rio Tinto have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen Canada’s low-carbon metals ecosystem by producing the world’s greenest aluminum

Saguenay – Decarbonizing the production of critical minerals and metals is essential to achieve Canada’s climate goals. To build a greener future, the Government of Canada is working with industry and supporting innovative sustainable production practices, as well as establishing a strong cleantech ecosystem in the country. And by strengthening our metals and minerals supply chains, Canada is continuing to secure good jobs, grow a resilient economy and ensure the long-term competitiveness of key industries across the country.

François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the signing of a partnership agreement with Rio Tinto aiming to implement a bold agenda for the company to strengthen its position as a leader in the production of green aluminum. This includes the construction of the first Western aluminum smelter in a decade, producing aluminum with some of the lowest carbon emissions in the world, as well as the industrial-scale deployment of its ELYSIS smelting technology across Rio Tinto Aluminium operations in Canada.

To cement its position as a leader in the production of green aluminum, Rio Tinto will invest Can$1.4 billion to expand its state-of-the-art aluminum smelter equipped with the company’s low-carbon emission AP60 electrolysis technology at the Complexe Jonquière, in Saguenay. The project will create up to 1,000 jobs during the peak construction period, and about 100 permanent jobs will be maintained thanks to the new aluminum smelter.

Thanks to our clean energy, our strong innovation ecosystems and our workers’ expertise, Canada already produces some of the world’s greenest minerals and metals, in particular steel and aluminum. Canada is positioning itself as a leader in this sector as the global demand for the production of clean metals continues to grow, particularly for aluminum, which is used in the production of innovative technologies in a wide range of sectors, including cleantech, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. Through strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Rio Tinto, Canada is establishing itself as the green supplier of choice for sustainably produced aluminum and critical minerals.

Rio Tinto is Canada’s leading metals and minerals producer, with a proven track record of success and a commitment to reducing carbon emissions across its operations. That is why the government has invested in ELYSIS Limited Partnership, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Alcoa. Once fully developed and implemented, the ELYSIS technology could eliminate Canada’s aluminum smelting carbon footprint. Another testament to its confidence in Rio Tinto, in October 2022, the government announced up to $222 million in funding to help Rio Tinto Fer et Titane advance its innovative BlueSmelting decarbonization technology and expand its production of critical minerals that are inputs to a range of advanced manufacturing applications, including electric vehicles.

The government’s collaborative agreement with Rio Tinto also supports the objectives of the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, as it will explore opportunities for value-added mineral processing and materials manufacturing for Canadian technologies and industries, and also promote circular economy principles by capturing critical minerals from waste streams.

Today’s announcement represents another significant step forward as the Government of Canada continues to position Canada for success with a cleaner, stronger and better-prepared economy—one that is competitive in a low-carbon world.