Rio Tinto and partner ELYSIS have successfully implemented a 450 kiloampere inert anode cell at the Rio Tinto smelter in Alma, Québec, the first application of inert anode technology at this commercial-scale size.
The technology allows for high-amperage aluminium production with no direct carbon emissions from the smelting process. It also has the potential to improve worker safety, reduce costs and enhance productivity.
ELYSIS CEO François Perras said: “This historic milestone results from years of relentless innovation and teamwork of all ELYSIS employees and collaborators.
“While R&D is rarely linear, our combined efforts have turned vision into reality.
“Today, we’re not just powering a new cell, we’re powering the future of aluminium.”
ELYSIS will continue with comprehensive and rigorous testing on the large-scale cell to gather data to support future commercial development.
Rio Tinto Aluminium & Lithium CEO Jérôme Pécresse said: “Today marks a major step for ELYSIS in its journey to commercialise its groundbreaking aluminium smelting technology without direct carbon emissions.
“Through our involvement in the joint venture, Rio Tinto is reinforcing its commitment to inert anode smelting.
“The construction of the first demonstration plant using this new technology at our Arvida smelter in Canada underscores its importance as a core pillar of our long-term decarbonisation strategy.”