MONTREAL, June 28, 2024 /CNW/ - Rio Tinto's announcement of the ELYSIS^TM inert anode technology demonstration plant project under development in the Saguenay region is a major step forward in the worldwide development of this revolutionary technology, which will ultimately enable the production of aluminium by eliminating GHG emissions from the electrolysis process. According to Aluminium Association of Canada CEO Jean Simard, "the development of a breakthrough technology, ELYSIS^TM, here in Quebec by our two world-class producers Alcoa and Rio Tinto, and its eventual deployment in the primary production ecosystem, is nothing less than our race to the moon. We're competing with Russia and China, and we're ahead of the game, as today's announcement shows."

I would like to salute Rio Tinto for this initiative," adds Jean Simard, "which will accelerate the production of aluminum with a very low carbon footprint at its Complexe Jonquière facilities in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.

As Quebecers and Canadians, we should be proud of the progress made to date by the sustained partnership between Alcoa, Apple and Rio Tinto, and the governments of Quebec and Canada. The sheer scale of the challenge taken up testifies to the scope of the technological breakthroughs required to eventually achieve carbon neutrality in an industry whose process emissions already have the lowest carbon footprint in the world.

Founded in 1990, the Aluminium Association of Canada (AAC) represents the three Canadian world-class aluminium producers: Alcoa, Alouette, and Rio Tinto. Operating nine smelters in Canada, eight of which in Quebec, they employ over 9,000 workers, producing more than 80% of North America's primary metal, with $12 billion in exports, mainly to the United States. The AAC and its members are active in the development of best practices in health and safety and responsible low CO₂ production. For more information, visit aluminium.ca or X @AAC_aluminium.

SOURCE Aluminium Association of Canada