Rio Tinto has initiated the commissioning of its USD 1.5 billion AP60 smelter expansion at Complexe Arvida in Quebec, marking the commercial deployment of its updated aluminium smelting technology.
The phased start-up sequence commenced in March and is scheduled to reach completion by the end of 2026, at which point all 96 new electrolytic pots will be operational. The expansion adds approximately 160,000 metric tonnes of primary aluminium capacity annually, bringing the facility’s total AP60-powered production output to 220,000 metric tonnes per year.
This production increase, combined with a planned aluminium recycling facility at Arvida, will replace the capacity lost from decommissioning the facility’s legacy potrooms, a closure process expected to be finalised this month.
The updated facility will sustain roughly 100 permanent local roles. At peak construction, the project employed more than 1,500 workers and generated over USD 1 billion in spending with regional contractors and suppliers in Quebec.
The AP60 technology was developed by Rio Tinto’s internal research and development teams. When paired with the regional hydroelectric grid supplying Rio Tinto’s Canadian operations, the process generates one-sixth of the greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of aluminium compared to the global industry average.
The AP60 framework reduces the carbon footprint by half compared to the older Arvida smelting systems it replaces, lowering direct emissions by approximately 290,000 tonnes per year. It is also designed to reduce fine particulate matter emissions by up to 90 per cent.
The expansion serves as an operational step toward the deployment of carbon-free aluminium electrolysis technology being developed by ELYSIS, a joint venture partnership that includes Rio Tinto. Backed by the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund and Investissement Quebec, a demonstration plant is under construction in the province to advance the ELYSIS process, which replaces carbon anodes to eliminate direct greenhouse gases, releasing oxygen as an operational by-product.
Jérôme Pécresse, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto Aluminium & Lithium, stated, “This milestone brings into production the first major primary aluminium project in the West in more than a decade and demonstrates Rio Tinto’s ability to deliver world-class, low-carbon technologies. The newly expanded AP60 smelter reinforces our competitiveness and the offer for our customers position in North America [and] increases the efficiency of our Quebec operations.”
Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Industry, commented on the industrial impact, “Today, as global competition intensifies, our government is proud to work alongside partners like Rio Tinto to build on that legacy – strengthening our aluminum industry, advancing world leading innovation and ensuring Canadian workers remain at the forefront of a more resilient economy.”
