Rio Tinto signs five-year bio pellet deal with SuperChar to cut alumina refinery emissions
Rio Tinto said on Wednesday it had 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.
Rio Tinto's 2025 gross Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions were 31.5-million tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent according to the annual report.
Rio said the first supply of locally produced bio pellets to be used at its refineries is targeted for 2028.
The deal underscores the company'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 MD Armando Torres.
Under the agreement, Rio Tinto plans to carry out a range of 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 tons of bio pellets a year, a move that could reduce Rio Tinto's annual reported Scope 1 emissions by up to 90 000 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent.
Rio Tinto operates and holds major stakes in multiple alumina refineries globally, with key hubs in Queensland, Australia and Quebec, Canada. Their refineries produce essential smelter-grade alumina used to feed their low-carbon aluminium smelting operations and global customers.
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