Rio Tinto Alcan to Invest $2.5b for Quebec Smelter Expansion

Montreal, May 29—Rio Tinto Alcan is studying the feasibility of the $2.5-billion Saguenay smelter expansion project in Quebec, said the company. Rio Tinto Alcan announced late Thursday that it will accelerate the preliminary feasibility study for expanding AP50 aluminum smelter, the expansion is estimated to be $2billion-$2.5 billion, which will lift the smelter’s capacity to 140,000 tons after put into production. CEO of Rio Tinto Alcan said early April that it will consider expanding Quebec smelter and the Thursday report will release more details of the plan. Preliminary preparation has been on track and the feasibility study is projecting to lift the smelter’s capacity to 400,000 tons a year. The smelter will employ hydraulic power, with first phase enjoying 44 aluminum electrolytic cells and initial capacity at 60,000 tons a ton. Aluminum has been broadly applied to auto, aviation, packaging and other sectors. And Quebec is among one of the regions with cheapest water resources, which makes it one of the cheapest regions for aluminum production. COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of WAM News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of WAM.