Rio Tinto’s power move: Building to last and green aluminum’s infrastructure

Rio Tinto is embarking on a major upgrade of the nearly century-old Isle-Maligne hydroelectric station in Quebec. A capital expenditure of CA$1.7bn ($1.2bn USD) will be spent to secure low-carbon power for its aluminum smelters in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.

The project is projected to take seven years to modernize one of Canada’s oldest hydropower assets to sustain what Rio-Tinto calls some of the world’s lowest-carbon aluminum production.

Nicholas Bell

Nicholas brings over half a decade of experience covering metals markets, pricing trends, and supply chain dynamics. Prior to joining AMU, he reported on aluminum, high-temperature scrap, and ferro-alloy markets at Argus Media, with additional coverage of minor metals and rare earths. His work has built deep expertise in North American metals pricing and trade flows. A native of Houston, Nicholas holds a bachelor’s degree in Media Production and an MBA with a concentration in Finance, both from the University of Houston.