Rio Tinto has commissioned a new remelt furnace at its Laterrière Plant, adding 22,000 metric tons of recycling capacity to its aluminium operations in the Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. 

The $8.4-million project has been completed over two years to offer rolled product customers in the North American automotive and packaging industries a new sustainable supply solution combining low-carbon and recycled aluminium. 

The remelt furnace is equipped with highly efficient burners to minimise its carbon footprint. The project has created seven new jobs. 

Rio Tinto Aluminium managing director Atlantic Operations Sébastien Ross said: “Aluminium is 100% recyclable and the demand for recycled metal is continually growing. With the commissioning of our new remelt furnace, we are now offering our customers an additional solution to recycle scrap from their manufacturing processes and turn it into high quality, low carbon aluminium alloys. Rio Tinto will continue working closely with our customers and partners to support the transition to a circular economy.” 

The rolled product recycling service complements the closed looped solution Rio Tinto introduced for billet customers in 2021. Rio Tinto’s technical marketing experts are available to assist customers in selecting the right recycled content together with the optimal alloy for their specific needs.