Rio Tinto-RevoCast deal links Kitimat aluminum to new North American billet supply chain

Rio Tinto is connecting its Kitimat aluminum production with a new British Columbia-based supply chain through a long-term agreement with RevoCast Aluminum Billets Ltd., under which aluminum from BC Works will be combined with recycled aluminum to produce billet for North American manufacturers.

Announced on September 28, the agreement gives Rio Tinto exclusive marketing rights for aluminum billet produced at RevoCast’s newly commissioned Langley casting facility. The operation combines primary aluminum from BC Works with recycled aluminum processed by RevoCast.

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The deal, however, will not change production or staffing at the Kitimat smelter. A Rio Tinto spokesperson confirmed that BC Works will see no increase in production and that the agreement will not create additional jobs, shifts or contractor work in Kitimat. Beyond supplying aluminum to RevoCast, there will be no other changes at BC Works.

RevoCast commissioned its Langley, British Columbia facility in August 2026, establishing a new source of 6xxx-series aluminum billet for extrusion applications across construction, transportation, industrial products and consumer goods. The facility has an annual production capacity of more than 80,000 metric tons and produces billets in 7-inch and 7.99-inch diameters, with sellable lengths of up to 23.95 feet.  

The plant is designed as a high-energy-efficiency remelting facility, using recycled aluminum to produce billet with lower carbon emissions and higher recycled content. The new Rio Tinto agreement adds low-carbon primary aluminum produced with hydropower at the Kitimat operations to this recycling and casting platform, creating a combined material stream for North American extrusion customers.

This makes the Langley facility the production link between Rio Tinto’s primary aluminum and RevoCast’s recycled aluminum, while Rio Tinto’s exclusive marketing role extends the billet’s reach across North American manufacturers.

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Kitimat aluminum meets recycled metal in Langley

“By combining Rio Tinto’s low-carbon aluminum production in British Columbia with RevoCast’s recycling and casting capabilities,” Matt Schicke, Vice President of Aluminum Sales and Marketing at Rio Tinto is confident that the company can provide “North American manufacturers with a reliable supply of high-quality billet produced closer to their operations.”

“This partnership strengthens our ability to help customers increase the recycled and low-carbon content of their products and build more resilient value chains,” he added.

Rio Tinto produces primary aluminum at Kitimat using hydropower. By combining this metal with recycled aluminum at RevoCast’s Langley facility, the companies aim to raise the recycled content of finished billet while moving production closer to customers and strengthening regional supply chains.

RevoCast commissioned the Langley facility in August. Its operation uses recycled aluminum and remelting technology designed to maximize energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

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Rio Tinto has not disclosed the volume of BC Works aluminum to be supplied to RevoCast or the duration of deliveries, citing commercial confidentiality. The company said that supplies to RevoCast began in 2026.

“Our partnership with Rio Tinto marks an important milestone for RevoCast, bringing together our advanced remelting capabilities with Rio Tinto’s global expertise, market knowledge and reach,” mentioned Thomas Martini, President and CEO of RevoCast.

Thus, the collaboration aims at “expanding access to reliable, high-quality, low-carbon billet with recycled content for extrusion customers across North America, while helping strengthen the region’s aluminum supply chain.”