Rio Tinto and ARENA to study using hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions in alumina refining
June 15 2021 - 6:00PM
Business Wire
Rio Tinto has partnered with the Australian Renewable Energy
Agency (ARENA) to study whether hydrogen can replace natural gas in
alumina refineries to reduce emissions.
Rio Tinto will conduct a $1.2 million feasibility study, equally
funded with ARENA through a $580,000 grant, into using clean
hydrogen to replace natural gas in the calcination process of
refining at the Yarwun aumina refinery in Gladstone.
The study program includes work to be done at Rio Tinto’s
Bundoora Technical Development Centre in Melbourne, where Rio
Tinto’s in-house development capability has now been extended to
hydrogen.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said “If we can replace fossil fuels
with clean hydrogen in the refining process for alumina, this will
reduce emissions in the energy and emissions intensive refining
stage of the aluminium supply chain. Exploring these new clean
energy technologies and methods is a crucial step towards producing
green aluminium.
“This study will investigate a potential technology that can
contribute to the decarbonisation of the Australian alumina
industry. If successful, the technical and commercial lessons from
Rio Tinto’s study could lead to the implementation of hydrogen
calcination technology, not only in Australia, but also
internationally.”
Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Operations acting managing director
Daniel van der Westhuizen said “We see the ARENA and Rio
Tinto-funded study as a step towards reducing refinery emissions
and one that has the potential to play an important part in Rio
Tinto’s commitment to decarbonisation.
“We’re investing in work that needs to be done, not only to
decarbonise one of our sites, but also to help provide a
lower-emissions pathway for Rio Tinto and the global aluminium
industry.
“We recognise we are on a long road towards reducing emissions
across our operations and there is clearly more work to be done.
But projects such as this are an important part of helping us get
there.”
The study comprises two distinct work packages:
- Preliminary engineering and design study conducted to
understand the construction and operational requirements of a
potential demonstration project at the Yarwun alumina
refinery.
- Simulating the calcination process using a lab scale reactor at
the Bundoora Technical Development Centre.
Once complete, the study will inform the viability of a
potential demonstration project. Rio Tinto has lodged patents for
the hydrogen calcination process.
Rio Tinto is aiming to reach net zero emissions across its
operations by 2050. Across the company, it is targeting a 15%
reduction in absolute emissions and a 30% reduction in emissions
intensity by 2030, from a 2018 baseline.
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