Rio Tinto, Japan's Sumitomo to build hydrogen plant in Queensland (updated)

Toyota Tsusho

12/07/2023 24:18

(Adds background in paragraphs 2-6)
       July 12 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto  RIO.AX   RIO.L  said on
Wednesday it would build a hydrogen plant in Gladstone,
Queensland along with Japan's Sumitomo Corporation  8053.T  as
the miner seeks to minimise carbon emissions at its Yarwun
alumina refinery in the region. 
    The hydrogen plant, which will test low-carbon alumina
refining and cut Yarwun's carbon dioxide emissions by about
3,000 tonnes per year, is expected to produce about 6,000 tonnes
of alumina annually, Rio said.
    The project will include construction of a 2.5-megawatt
on-site electrolyser to supply hydrogen to the Yarwun refinery.
    Sumitomo will own and operate the electrolyser at Yarwun and
directly supply hydrogen to the miner. The electrolyser will
have an annual hydrogen production capacity of more than 250
tonnes.
    "This pilot plant is an important step in testing whether
hydrogen can replace natural gas in Queensland alumina
refineries," Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Operations Managing
Director Armando Torres said.
    Construction of the plant will start in 2024 and it is
expected to be operational by 2025.



($1 = 1.4954 Australian dollars)

 (Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru
Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)
 ((Rishav.Chatterjee@thomsonreuters.com;))