Rio Tinto in Australia - PageSuite

Pioneering energy efficient technologiesRio Tinto Alcan is investing in technology thatis delivering a 26 per cent reduction in thegreenhouse gas intensity of its Yarwun aluminarefinery in Queensland.The refinery’s gas-fired cogeneration power plantdelivers benefits to both our business and theenvironment by reducing the energy required to refinealumina. Recognising this, the cogeneration facilitywas announced one of Queensland’s most outstandingindustrial eco-efficiency improvements at the annualPremier’s ClimateSmart Sustainability Awards in 2011.Linked to a 160 megawatt electrical generator, thecogeneration facility converts natural gas energy viaa large turbine to produce steam and low emissionelectricity to power the refinery.Surplus electricity is provided to the Queenslandelectricity grid. Right now, more than 87,000 averageQueensland homes are being supplied with lowemission electricity produced by our gas-fired facility.Four tonnes of bauxiteproduces one tonne ofaluminium—enough tomanufacture 60,000beverage cans.rio tinto alcan OperationsOur Australian operations include:Weipa: An open-pit bauxite mine producing about 21million tonnes each year and employing about 1000 fulltimeworkers. The mining leases are on Aboriginal landand neighbour the communities of Aurukun, Mapoon,Napranum and Weipa.Yarwun: An alumina refinery and cogeneration plantproducing power for the alumina refinery operations.Yarwun produces about 1.4 million tonnes of aluminaeach year. It will increase to 3.4 million tonnes afterYarwun 2 becomes operational.Queensland Alumina Ltd: An alumina refineryproducing about 3.95 million tonnes of smelter-gradealumina each year.pacific aluminiumWe are also preparing some of our aluminiumbusinesses for divestment, including:Boyne Smelters: An aluminium smelter producingabout 560,000 tonnes of aluminium ingots, t-barsand billets each year.NRG Gladstone Power Station: A coal-firedpower station producing safe, reliable electricityto support production.Gove: A surface bauxite mine producing about eightmillion tonnes of bauxite a year with an aluminarefinery as well as a port and ship loading facilities.Tomago Aluminium: An aluminium smelterproducing more than 530,000 tonnes each year ofextrusion billets, rolling slabs, and aluminium ingots.Bell Bay: An aluminium smelter producing about180,000 tonnes each year of aluminium ingots,rolling slabs, T-bar and molten metal.11