Rio Tinto to Invest in Upgrades to Aluminum Smelter

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Rio Tinto announced major investment aimed at boosting its production capacity at Quebec aluminum smelter. The company announced investment of $188 million at its Alma smelter in Lac-Saint-Jean, which will boost the capacity of low-carbon, high-value aluminum billets by approximately 202,000 tonnes.

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The investment will see expansion of the existing casting centre at the plant so as to accommodate new state-of-the-art equipment, including a casting pit and furnaces. The expansion will result in conversion of larger portion of aluminum produced at the facility to higher value billets. Meantime, the investment does not include additional smelting capacity, the company stated.

The construction works are expected to commence in May next year, following successful completion of detailed engineering and preliminary work. Rio Tinto expects commissioning of the plant to take place during the initial quarter of 2025. The investment is expected to create around 40 new permanent jobs.

Commenting on the development, Sebastien Ross, Managing Director, Rio Tinto Aluminum’s Atlantic operations said that the expansion will allow the aluminum billet production capacity to better meet the growing customer demand for high-quality alloys and value-added products made with renewable hydroelectricity.