Rio Tinto, ARENA To Study Using Hydrogen To Reduce Carbon Emissions In Alumina Refining

(RTTNews) - Rio Tinto Plc. (RTPPF.PK, RIO.L, RIO, RTNTF.PK) said that it has partnered with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency or ARENA to study whether hydrogen can replace natural gas in alumina refineries to reduce emissions.

Rio Tinto noted that it will conduct a $1.2 million feasibility study, equally funded with ARENA through a $580,000 grant, into using clean hydrogen to replace natural gas in the calcination process of refining at the Yarwun aumina refinery in Gladstone.

The study program includes work to be done at Rio Tinto's Bundoora Technical Development Centre in Melbourne, where Rio Tinto's in-house development capability has now been extended to hydrogen.

Rio Tinto is aiming to reach net zero emissions across its operations by 2050. Across the company, it is targeting a 15% reduction in absolute emissions and a 30% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030, from a 2018 baseline.