Rio Tinto teams up with ARENA to reduce carbon emissions in alumina refineries

Rio Tinto has teamed up with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to study using hydrogen in alumina refineries to cut carbon emissions. The project involves a feasibility study into using clean hydrogen to replace natural gas in the calcination process of refining at the Yarwun alumina refinery in Gladstone.

Rio Tinto will conduct a $1.2 million feasibility study, equally funded with ARENA through a $580,000 grant.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said, “If we can replace fossil fuels with clean hydrogen in the refining process for alumina, this will reduce emissions in the energy and emissions intensive refining stage of the aluminium supply chain. Exploring these new clean energy technologies and methods is a crucial step towards producing green aluminium.

“This study will investigate a potential technology that can contribute to the decarbonisation of the Australian alumina industry. If successful, the technical and commercial lessons from Rio Tinto’s study could lead to the implementation of hydrogen calcination technology, not only in Australia, but also internationally.”

The study will involve preliminary engineering and design study to understand the construction and operational requirements at the Yarwun alumina refinery. The second stage will involve simulating the calcination process using a lab scale reactor at the Bundoora Technical Development Centre.

Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Operations acting managing director Daniel van der Westhuizen said, “We see the ARENA and Rio Tinto-funded study as a step towards reducing refinery emissions and one that has the potential to play an important part in Rio Tinto’s commitment to decarbonisation.

“We’re investing in work that needs to be done, not only to decarbonise one of our sites, but also to help provide a lower-emissions pathway for Rio Tinto and the global aluminium industry.

“We recognise we are on a long road towards reducing emissions across our operations and there is clearly more work to be done. But projects such as this are an important part of helping us get there.”

Rio Tinto plans to reach net zero emissions across its operations by 2050. The company targets a 15% reduction in absolute emissions and a 30% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030, from a 2018 baseline.