Rio Tinto Alcan joins research partnership

Rio Tinto Alcan, owner of hydro plants and aluminum smelters in Quebec and northern British Columbia, said Monday it will invest $500,000 in a new research partnership to study the potential impact of climate change on the water resources of the Lac Saint-Jean region of Quebec.

Rio Alcan has major hydro-electric plants on the Shipshaw and Peribonca rivers in the Lac Saint-Jean region that supply low-cost power to its Saguenay smelters.

Its research partner is Ouranos, a non-profit organization operated by the Quebec government, Hydro-Québec, Environment Canada, Université de Québec à Montréal, Laval University, McGill University and INRS University. It specializes in regional climatology and adaptation to climate change.

"The partnership reinforces our commitment to further research on the future impact of climate change on water management," said Etienne Jacques, Alcan's vice-president, primary metal, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. "It will help to improve our short and long-term hydrological forecasting."

Alcan needs a clearer picture of the future climate in the Lac Saint-Jean region, he added. The research effort will be a joint activity of Ouranos and the company's hydrology experts.