Rio Tinto, Sumitomo to build hydrogen plant in Gladstone for lower-carbon alumina refining

In an effort to reduce carbon emissions from the alumina refining process, global mining group Rio Tinto and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation have announced a partnership to construct a pioneering hydrogen plant in Gladstone, Queensland.

The project, coined the Yarwun Hydrogen Calcination Pilot Demonstration Program, has secured a government co-funding of A$32.1 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), bringing its total value to A$111.1 million.

The primary goal of the program is to assess the feasibility of hydrogen use in the calcination process, where hydrated alumina is subjected to temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. The initiative includes the development of a hydrogen plant at the Yarwun refinery and the modification of existing refinery processing equipment. If successful, this could potentially trigger a global-scale adoption of the technology.

Detailed plans for the project reveal the construction of a 2.5MW on-site electrolyser to supply hydrogen to the Yarwun refinery, alongside the retrofitting of one of Yarwun’s four calciners to accommodate a hydrogen burner.

Armando Torres — Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Operations Managing Director said: “This pilot plant is an important step in testing whether hydrogen can replace natural gas in Queensland alumina refineries.

“At Rio Tinto we have put the energy transition at the heart of our business strategy, and this is one of the ways we’re working towards decarbonising our operations.

“We are proud to be developing this new technology here in Gladstone, in partnership with Sumitomo Corporation, and with support from ARENA.”

Rio Tinto, Sumitomo to construct hydrogen plant in Gladstone for lower-carbon alumina refining. Photo courtesy of Rio Tinto.

The trial phase is projected to yield around 6,000 tonnes of alumina annually, decreasing Yarwun’s carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 3,000 tonnes per year. A full-scale conversion of the plant to green hydrogen could further reduce emissions by 500,000 tonnes per annum, equating to the removal of around 109,000 conventional cars from the road.

Construction is scheduled to commence in 2024, with operations expected to begin the following year. Sumitomo Corporation will take charge of owning and operating the electrolyser at the Yarwun site, supplying the generated hydrogen directly to Rio Tinto. The electrolyser will have a production capacity exceeding 250 tonnes of hydrogen annually.

The pilot project follows a successful A$1.2 million feasibility study co-funded by Rio Tinto and ARENA, announced in 2021. It aligns with Rio Tinto’s long-term commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, with intermediate targets to reduce Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 from 2018 levels.

Seiji Kitajima — Sumitomo Corporation Energy Innovation Initiative Director said “We are excited to be delivering this hydrogen project together with Rio Tinto as our long-term partner with the support of ARENA.

“Demonstrating real-world applications of hydrogen in industrial settings with motivated partners is essential to reducing carbon emissions and working toward our company’s vision of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Through this demonstration, Sumitomo Corporation aims to venture into the commercialisation project to contribute to Rio Tinto’s decarbonisation.”

“Sumitomo Corporation is proud to be working on yet another hydrogen project in Australia and contributing to Australia’s own emission reductions goals.”