The investment will have economic spinoffs for Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Mining major Rio Tinto has announced a C$160-million investment into its Isle-Maligne hydroelectric power station, in Quebec, to continue its production of low-carbon aluminum.
The investment would see Rio replace valves used to cut off the water flow in the power plant if required. Located in Alma, the Isle-Maligne power plant was commissioned 94 years ago and is the oldest in Rio's hydroelectric network.
The work will be carried out over a period of five years starting in the second quarter of 2021.
“The replacement of the valves at the Isle-Maligne plant is a major investment by Rio Tinto in the area. It will allow us to continue operating Isle-Maligne in complete safety for many decades and to maintain our low carbon aluminum production in Quebec,” said Rio’s executive director of operations in Quebec, Sébastien Ross.
“Our team is committed to ensuring that this investment has significant regional economic benefits, among other things through our partnership with equipment manufacturer Canmec.”
The investment is expected to have significant economic spinoffs for Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, with approximately C$115-million disbursed to businesses in the region.