Rio Tinto signs deal to cut alumina refinery emissions

Rio Tinto has signed a five-year deal with Australian bioenergy firm SuperChar to ‌supply bio pellets to the miner’s alumina refineries in Gladstone, supporting ‌its shift toward cleaner energy sources.

The initial deal would see 35,000 tonnes of bio pellets supplied in 2028, subject to approvals.

​The deal underscores the mining giant’s plan to use bio pellets as one of the potential alternatives to reduce dependence on fossil fuels for alumina refining.

“Reducing our alumina refineries’ reliance on fossil fuel will ⁠require a mix of ‌technologies, ​innovation and partnerships, and bio pellets are one of the practical ​options we ‌are exploring as part of that,” said Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific operations ​managing director Armando Torres.

Under the agreement, Rio Tinto plans to carry out assessments to ​use ​bio pellets as ​a supplement to coal used in boilers ‌at its Gladstone alumina refineries – Yarwun and Queensland Alumina.

SuperChar plans to build a production facility in Gladstone to initially produce 35,000 tonnes of bio pellets a year, a move that ​could reduce Rio Tinto’s annual reported scope one emissions by ​up to 90,000 ⁠tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).

Rio Tinto’s ‌2025 gross scope one and two greenhouse gas emissions were 31.5 million metric tonnes of CO₂e, according to its annual report.