Rio Tinto to make low-carbon alumina
Global miner Rio Tinto and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation will build a $111 million world-first hydrogen plant at the Yarwun alumina refinery in Gladstone to help reduce carbon emissions at the energy-intensive facility.
As companies across the world grapple with the problems of reducing the carbon footprint at metal processing facilities, Rio will look into the viability of using hydrogen, instead of natural gas, in the calcination process.
Rio TInto’s Yarwun alumina refinery is attempting to reduce its carbon emissions by using hydrogen instead of natural gas. Brenda Strong
Calcination – which usually accounts for about 30 per cent of emissions from alumina refining – involves hydrated alumina being heated to extremely high temperatures.
Taxpayers will contribute $30 million towards the $111 million program via the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
The investment will help install a 2.5 megawatt onsite electrolyser, a hydrogen storage facility, and a hydrogen-capable burner to retrofit one of the refinery’s calciners, which are the large industrial ovens used in alumina refining.
Sumitomo Corporation will own and operate the electrolyser at the Yarwun site and directly supply hydrogen to Rio Tinto. The electrolyser will have a production capacity of more than 250 tonnes of hydrogen annually.
Rio Tinto said converting the entire plant to hydrogen could reduce emissions by 500,000 tonnes a year, which is equivalent to taking 109,000 petrol cars off the road.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said the first-of-its-kind project – which is expected to be commissioned in 2025 – could help ensure the future of the alumina industry in Australia.
Alumina refining accounts for about 3 per cent of Australia’s
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