Rio Tinto Commissions $1.5B Quebec Low-Carbon Aluminum Facility

Aluminum | 2026-06-02 10:52:30 | By Paul Ploumis

The project is expected to increase annual primary aluminum production capacity by approximately 160,000 metric tons, bringing the facility’s total capacity to 220,000 metric tons.

Summary

Rio Tinto has started commissioning a $1.5 billion low-carbon aluminum expansion project at the Complexe Arvida facility in Quebec, Canada.
The project uses AP60 smelting technology, cutting emissions to 1.6 tons of CO₂ per ton of aluminum, well below the global industry average of 10.9 tons.
The expansion will add 160,000 metric tons of annual primary aluminum capacity, raising the facility's total capacity to 220,000 metric tons.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Rio Tinto announced that it has started commissioning a $1.5 billion low-carbon aluminum expansion project at the Complexe Arvida facility in Quebec, Canada.

This marks a major milestone in the company’s efforts to boost its sustainable aluminum production. Furthermore, the expansion project is expected to strengthen North America's supply of low-emissions metal. The commissioning is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

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The expansion is being carried out using Rio Tinto’s proprietary AP60 smelting technology, which promises to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional aluminum production methods. The innovative technology generates approximately 1.6 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of aluminum, compared with 3.2 tons from the existing technology. Also, this is substantially lower than the global industry average of 10.9 tons.

The project is expected to increase annual primary aluminum production capacity by approximately 160,000 metric tons, bringing the facility’s total capacity to 220,000 metric tons.

The proposed expansion project will also support the commercialization of carbon-free aluminum smelting technologies being developed by ELYSIS, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Alcoa.