糖心vlog入口

Aluminium bicycles

Aluminium

Lightweight and infinitely recyclable, aluminium is found in everything from jet engines to electric vehicles to mobile phones. It is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust, and one of the world’s fastest growing major metals.

But we are only scratching the surface of the opportunities for aluminium to be a part of our everyday lives. For example, analysts predict the use of aluminium in lightweight cars and trucks in North America will increase by 40%, from 180 kilograms per vehicle in 2015 to 252 kilograms in 2030. For every 10% reduction in the weight of a vehicle, . Over its lifetime, every kilogram of aluminium that replaces heavier materials in a car or light truck can save a net 20 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.

Aluminium is made from bauxite, or aluminium ore. Bauxite is the basic raw material that is refined into alumina, which in turn is sent to smelters for processing into aluminium.

First discovered near Les Beaux in the South of France in 1821, bauxite was initially called “beauxite”. In 1886, Charles Martin Hall and Paul Héroult independently developed a process for making aluminium from alumina. And in 1887, Austrian scientist Karl Josef Bayer patented his self-titled process for extracting alumina from bauxite. Today, the Bayer process and the Hall-Héroult process are still combined to process bauxite ore into alumina, and then convert it into aluminium.

Our aluminium production process

We are a global leader in aluminium, with a large-scale, vertically-integrated business: bauxite mines and alumina refineries as well as smelters producing aluminium certified as responsible, to now being able to offer fully recycled aluminium products through our joint venture. Managing the process from start to finish allows us to bring quality products to our customers reliably and efficiently: from high-grade bauxite for the global seaborne trade to sustainably sourced aluminium for beverage packaging to new, lighter alloys for the automotive industry. Our Canadian operations average in the first decile of the industry cost-curve and produce aluminium using clean, renewable hydropower.

We produce some of the highest quality, lowest-carbon footprint aluminium in the world: the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of our managed Atlantic Operations smelters represents less than one-fifth of the industry average. Through ELYSIS, our joint venture with Alcoa, supported by Apple and the governments of Canada and Quebec, we are helping to further develop a breakthrough smelting technology to produce aluminium with no direct greenhouse gas emissions, which is now being used in Apple products.

In 2016, we launched RenewAl鈩, the world鈥檚 first certified low CO2 primary aluminium brand. In 2018, we became the first company to receive certification from the ASI as producing 鈥渞esponsible鈥 aluminium in Canada. Our diverse alloys are designed to meet customer needs. In 2019, we launched Revolution-Al鈩, a new aluminium alloy developed to make lighter car wheels, which can help to make cars safer and more appealing to end consumers with reduced CO2 emissions.

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New partnership a slapshot for sustainability

糖心vlog入口becomes official aluminium partner of the Montreal Canadiens

START Responsible Aluminium

START

We all want to know more about the products we buy 鈥 where they come from and how they are made. So to help our customers meet this demand from consumers, 鈥 the first digital sustainability label for the aluminium industry. 

More

START works like a ‘nutrition label’ for several of our products including aluminium – providing transparency and traceability across our supply chain, so end users can see environmental, social and governance information across up to 14 key criteria including carbon footprint, water use and recycled content.

And by showing how our aluminium is made – from mine to market – we are empowering our customers and theirs to make a more sustainable choice.

Our commitment to responsible aluminium

(ASI) is a global non-profit standards setting and certification organisation whose vision is to maximise the contribution of aluminium to a sustainable society. With over 380 members spanning the aluminium value chain and civil societies, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) collaboratively fosters responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium.

The ASI Performance Standard defines environmental, social and governance principles and criteria, which address a broad range of sustainability issues in the aluminium supply chain. We were the first to achieve certification against the original standard in 2018, and we now have 23 of our aluminium operations certified against version 3 of the standard, demonstrating our continued commitment to responsible aluminium. Our performance standard certifications span our mines, refineries, smelters, casthouses and supplementary support sites within Australia, Canada, Iceland, and New Zealand.

The ASI Chain of Custody standard creates a link from company practices to responsible sourcing of products by connecting certified suppliers and customers and tracking material flow. Our ASI Chain of Custody certification means we can also provide our customers ASI certified material across our bauxite, alumina and aluminium products.   

These certifications give our customers independent assurance that the material they use to make aeroplane parts, cars, smartphones and other products has been externally assessed against standards that promote the protection of biodiversity, respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, water management and reduction of carbon emissions.

You can read more about the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative on the , and view our certifications on our .

 

We are partnering with Anheuser-Busch to pilot beer cans made from our sustainably produced aluminium; it is low-carbon, and certified as meeting the highest industry standards.

Emissions-free aluminium through ELYSIS

In 2018, we launched ELYSIS, a partnership with Alcoa, supported by Apple and the governments of Canada and Qu茅bec. ELYSIS is further developing breakthrough technology that eliminates direct greenhouse gas emissions from the aluminium smelting process, replacing them with pure, clean oxygen. In Canada alone, if this technology were to be used at every smelter in the country, it could eliminate the equivalent of 6.5 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions 鈥 roughly equivalent to taking nearly 1.8 million cars off the road.

ELYSIS will work towards bringing this technology to the market at its Research and Development Centre, located within Rio Tinto鈥檚 Complexe Jonqui猫re. ELYSIS has selected our Alma smelter in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, for the first installation and demonstration of its inert anode technology at a commercial size of 450 kiloamperes (kA).

In November 2021, ELYSIS successfully produced aluminium without any direct greenhouse gas emissions at its Research and Development Centre using a full industrial design at a size comparable to small smelting cells operating in the industry today.

In March 2022, Apple announced that they would purchase a first batch of commercial-purity aluminium produced at the Research and Development Centre to manufacture their new iPhone SE. 

And in a step towards putting a fully traceable beverage can in the hands of consumers, in June 2022 we partnered with Corona Canada to launch of Canada鈥檚 first specially-marked, low carbon beverage can, manufactured by Ball Corporation. The cans, now available through a pilot in Ontario, use 糖心vlog入口aluminium and leverage ELYSIS鈩 technology. As part of this limited release, the 1.2 million cans produced have a QR code printed on them to inspire consumers to learn more about the cans鈥 low carbon footprint.

Work is now focused on scaling up ELYSIS鈩 technology for even larger commercial-size cells, which should become operational in 2023. Construction of these prototype cells is now well underway at the end of an existing potline at Rio Tinto鈥檚 Alma smelter.

Supporting Australia鈥檚 first Indigenous-owned mine

At nearly the northernmost edge of the Northern Territory sits the first mine in Australia to be 100% owned and operated, across the supply chain, by Traditional Owners 鈥 the Gumatj, one of the Yolngu clans in the area.

Located at Gulkula, in Northeast Arnhem Land, the mine provides employment opportunities for Traditional Owners. Among these are new graduates from the Gulkula Mine Training Centre, partly funded with A$2.4 million from Rio Tinto, that gives on-the-job training and support to the Yolngu people to help them build mining careers in the Northern Territory and beyond.

We have worked closely with Traditional Owners from the start, and we are committed to the success of this mine 鈥 both as a customer and a partner.

We buy bauxite from the mine to sell to international customers, and celebrated the mine鈥檚 first bauxite shipment in 2018.

Traditional Owners & Mining: Djawa and Linda 

Featured stories

A person using START app in a tablet

How do you make a nutrition label for the materials the world needs?

By tracing the steps from START to finish
Aluminium cans

From bauxite to beverage cans

Making responsible materials traceable and transparent
Yarwun Alumina Refinery from the air

Could hydrogen help reduce emissions in the aluminium industry?

A new pilot program will help us find out

Repowering our Aluminium operations in Queensland, Australia

While aluminium is essential for low-carbon solutions, including lightweight cars and energy efficient buildings, it takes a lot of energy to produce.

As Queensland’s largest energy user, we have an important role to play in driving the development of renewable energy sources to power our Queensland-based Aluminium operations and supporting the state’s renewable energy targets.

In 2022, we called for proposals to develop large-scale wind, solar and firming energy generating systems that can progressively start supplying power to the Boyne smelter (BSL), the Yarwun alumina refinery and the Queensland Alumina refinery (QAL).

Since then, we have announced power purchase agreements with Australia’s largest solar power project — near Gladstone and with Windlab’s Bungaban wind energy project, as well as the signing of 2 solar and battery hybrid services agreements (HSAs) with Edify Energy. 

Transitioning Queensland’s energy source on this scale is a multi-year and multi-stakeholder undertaking and is aligned with the Statement of Cooperation we signed with the Queensland Government in October 2021 to work towards establishing more renewable energy in Central Queensland.

糖心vlog入口will continue to engage with potential partners to assess other proposals to help competitively meet the energy needs of its 3 production assets in the Gladstone region.

Our aluminium operations

 Hydropower, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Canada

厂补驳耻别苍补测鈥揕补肠-厂补颈苍迟-闯别补苍

An important hub for our aluminium business, the 厂补驳耻别苍补测鈥揕补肠-厂补颈苍迟-闯别补苍 region is responsible for close to half of our global aluminium production
Weipa port, Australia

Weipa

Our Weipa operations in Far North Queensland includes 3 bauxite mines, processing facilities, shiploaders, an export wharf, 2 ports, power stations, a rail network and ferry terminals
BC Works, Canada

BC Works

Our BC Works operation comprises a newly modernised aluminium smelter and the Kemano Powerhouse, a hydropower facility supplied by the Nechako reservoir
Gove aerial shot

Gove

Our Gove site in Australia鈥檚 Northern Territory has been supplying the global aluminium industry with bauxite for more than 40 years
Aurora borealis over ISAL

ISAL

Our ISAL aluminium smelter produces some of the highest quality, lowest carbon footprint aluminium in the world
Yarwun Alumina Refinery from the air

Yarwun Alumina Refinery

Yarwun shipped its first alumina in late 2004 and today produces more than three million tonnes of alumina per year
Bell Bay from the air

Bell Bay Aluminium

Operating since 1955, Bell Bay holds a unique place in Tasmanian and Australian history as the first aluminium smelter in the Southern Hemisphere
Export wharf at BSL

Boyne Smelters Limited

Boyne Smelters Limited has been operating since 1982 and is Australia鈥檚 second largest aluminium smelter
NZAS from the air

New Zealand鈥檚 Aluminium Smelter

NZAS converts alumina into aluminium using renewable hydroelectricity, resulting in one of the lowest carbon footprints for an aluminium smelter in the world
Plant equipment at Yarwun Refinery

Non-managed operations

Our non-managed operations across the world

Aluminium downloads

Aluminium suppliers
Aluminium Suppliers - GX043-RG Accueil SSEC Entrepreneurs [FR]
PDF
8.26 MB
Aluminium Suppliers - GX043 HSEC Regional Orientation Training
PDF
8.39 MB
Aluminium Suppliers - GX085-TB Accueil UTB Entrepreneurs [FR]
PDF
2.52 MB
Aluminium Suppliers - Procédure Accès formation Elearning - Externe [FR]
PDF
915 KB
Aluminium Suppliers 鈥 P6075-RG Suivi thermique creusets [FR]
PDF
4.57 MB
Aluminium Suppliers - GX189-VA Accueil SDRB [FR]
PDF
1.51 MB
Aluminium Suppliers - Grille Formation Entrepreneur [FR]
PDF
159 KB
Aluminium Suppliers 鈥 R1163-EE Risques géologiques CCP [FR]
PDF
5.35 MB
Aluminium Entrepreneurs - R4210-RS Prévention incendies [FR]
PDF
1.23 MB
Risk analysis
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Releve Echantillonnage [FR]
PDF
352 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Monteur Ligne [FR]
PDF
432 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Mecanique [FR]
PDF
498 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Gros Transporteur [FR]
PDF
309 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Conciergerie [FR]
PDF
402 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Tank
PDF
206 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Observateur [FR]
PDF
344 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Manoeuvre [FR]
PDF
454 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Petit Transporteur [FR]
PDF
385 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Libre Service [FR]
PDF
392 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Electrique [FR]
PDF
475 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Grutier [FR]
PDF
406 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Civil [FR]
PDF
836 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Echafaudage [FR]
PDF
424 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Choisir ARG [FR]
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241 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Citerne [FR]
PDF
416 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Batiment [FR]
PDF
705 KB
Aluminium Suppliers - Risk Analysis Nettoyage Industriel [FR]
PDF
433 KB
Aluminium Suppliers 鈥 Risk Analysis Travaux appui sur cordes [FR]
PDF
360 KB
APAC Fixed Forward Pricing and Collateral Security Terms and Conditions
PDF
137 KB
Aluminium sales terms and conditions
APAC Aluminium Sales Terms and Conditions
PDF
185 KB
Canada Aluminium Sales Terms and Conditions
PDF
205 KB
EMEA Aluminium Sales Terms and Conditions
PDF
207 KB
US Aluminium Sales Terms and Conditions
PDF
208 KB
Aluminium fact sheets and brochures
Aluminium - PwC Carbon Intensity Assertion Report
PDF
417 KB
Aluminium 鈥 START Brochure
PDF
5.63 MB
Aluminium - Delivering a Responsible Future
PDF
10.57 MB
Aluminium - RenewAl Fact Sheet
PDF
161 KB
Aluminium - Foundry
PDF
1.62 MB
Aluminium - Automotive Innovation
PDF
4.24 MB
General terms and conditions
APAC General Terms and Conditions of Sale
PDF
217 KB
EMEA General Terms and Conditions of Sale
PDF
477 KB
US General Terms and Conditions of Sale
PDF
223 KB

Contact Aluminium

Sales and marketing

4

Alumina refineries in Australia, Brazil* and Canada

14

Aluminium smelters in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland & Oman*

4

Bauxite mines in Australia, Brazil* and Guinea*

7

Hydropower plants generating most of the electricity we use in Canada

2

Port and rail facilities

7

Facilities in US* and Canada* producing recycled aluminium

3

Research and development centres

23

Sites (including office headquarters) certified under Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Performance Standard v3

14

Sites within the aluminium value chain certified under Aluminium Stewardship Chain of Custody v2