Green aluminum technology venture Elysis is set to retrofit Rio Tinto’s Alma aluminum smelter in Quebec with commercial-sized 450kA (450,000w) inert anode prototype cells to test the commercial production of sustainable aluminum.
The Canadian government has pledged C$20mn ($15.86mn) to help expedite production using the company’s carbon-free technology, Rio Tinto noted on Tuesday. The inert anode cells will be inserted at the end of the smelter’s existing potline to demonstrate its effectiveness in producing carbon-free aluminum.
Elysis, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and American aluminum producer Alcoa, is developing technology to smelt aluminum sustainably. The technology is expected to be ready to help smelters produce carbon-free aluminum commercially by 2024.
The venture has the potential to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by 6.35mn mt per year.
($1=C$1.26)