Rio Tinto and Hydro: A New Alliance for Carbon Capture in Aluminium Smelting
Thursday, Jan 30, 2025 2:12 am ET
1min read In a significant step towards decarbonising the aluminium industry, Rio Tinto and Hydro have joined forces to identify and evaluate available carbon capture technologies for future implementation in the aluminium electrolysis process. The partnership, announced on January 30, 2025, aims to create improved offerings of commercially viable carbon capture technologies from relevant suppliers.
The collaboration between Rio Tinto and Hydro aligns with both companies' climate targets and roadmaps. Rio Tinto is committed to reaching net zero emissions from its operations by 2050, while Hydro is accelerating its ambitious roadmap to achieve net-zero aluminium production by 2050 or sooner. By working together, the partners expect to invest approximately $45 million over five years to support this initiative, with most of the work conducted at Rio Tinto's facilities in Europe and Hydro's facilities in Norway.
Anode consumption during the electrolysis process accounts for approximately three quarters of a smelter's direct CO2 emissions. For several years, scientists from Rio Tinto and Hydro have been exploring different carbon capture technologies as complementary solutions to help each company meet their climate targets. The partnership will build on this existing research and development, with the goal of creating fit-for-purpose solutions that can accelerate the aluminium industry's transition towards net-zero production.
Capturing carbon from aluminium smelter flue gas, with CO2 concentrations around 1% (vol.), requires adapting direct air capture technologies for higher concentrations or point source technologies for lower concentrations. The current technology readiness level is low, and significant development efforts are needed to mature these technologies from laboratory to commercial scale. The collaboration between Rio Tinto and Hydro aims to speed up this development process to abate greenhouse gas emissions from smelters.
The investment of approximately $45 million over five years by Rio Tinto and Hydro is a significant commitment towards decarbonisation efforts. While the expected return on investment (ROI) is not explicitly stated in the provided material, both companies have committed to pursuing substantial decarbonisation efforts independently, indicating that they expect the investment to contribute to their long-term sustainability goals and potentially lead to cost savings or new revenue streams in the future.
In conclusion, the partnership between Rio Tinto and Hydro on carbon capture technologies for aluminium smelters is a strategic move that aligns with both companies' climate targets and roadmaps. By working together, they aim to accelerate the development and deployment of carbon capture technologies to help meet their respective net-zero emission goals. The investment of approximately $45 million over five years is a significant commitment towards decarbonisation efforts, with the potential for a positive ROI in the long term.
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