Rio Tinto to build pilot gallium plant in Quebec
Mining major Rio Tinto is advancing a research and development project to extract gallium from its alumina refining process in Quebec, supported by funding from the Canadian government.
The company will construct a pilot plant at its Complexe Jonquière facility in Saguenay following the successful extraction of its first gallium in partnership with Indium Corporation in May 2025. The pilot facility is expected to begin operating in 2027.
The project has received conditional approval for a non-repayable contribution of up to C$18.95-million from Natural Resources Canada under the Global Partnerships Initiative, in addition to C$7-million committed by the government of Quebec in 2024.
Plans are also under way for a demonstration plant at the same site capable of producing up to 4 t/y of gallium. If the technology is scaled commercially, Rio Tinto estimates production could reach about 40 t/y, representing roughly 5% of global supply.
Gallium is produced in limited quantities globally, with current output of more than 700 t/y, all from outside North America. The metal is used in technologies such as high-performance radar systems, smartphones, electric vehicles and computers.
Rio Tinto Aluminium and Lithium CEO Jérôme Pécresse said extracting gallium from the company’s existing alumina refining process would create additional value while strengthening the North American supply chain for the critical mineral.
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