Company: RTNTF
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0001628280-25-006642
Chunk: 106

Company: RIO TINTO LTD
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 20-F
Chunk 106
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 ongoing development of the breakthrough ELYSIS™ technology and allow us to build expertise in its installation and operation.

| Annual Report on Form 20-F 2024 | 55 | riotinto.com |

Strategic report | Our approach to ESG | Climate Action Plan

Alumina processing The alumina refineries in Gladstone; Yarwun and QAL are the largest source of process heat emissions in the Group. The refineries are currently reliant on coal and gas to generate heat for digestion (75% of refinery emissions) and use in the calcination phase (25% of refinery emissions) of the process. The successful reduction of emissions in our Australian alumina refineries relies heavily on technology development, capital investment and the availability of large-scale renewable energy. Our preferred decarbonisation strategy, based on technical merit and commercial viability, is a combination of energy management, fuel switching and electrification. We are focused on reducing the emissions of the digestion phase through 3 main projects: 1) Reducing baseload energy requirements through double digestion. In 2024, we completed a double digestion pre-feasibility study at QAL. The feasibility study was approved in Q4 2024 and therefore commencement of the study work will now occur in 2025. 2) Upgrading energy with heat pumps and mechanical vapour recompression (MVR). At QAL, the order of magnitude study for waste heat recovery using MVR will commence in Q1 2025 and is planned to complete in Q2 2025. The project is expected to commence pre-feasibility in Q3 2025. 3) Fuel switching through electric steam generation (including electric boilers and thermal energy storage) : – Final approval of the electric boiler project in Vaudreuil is now expected in 2025. – At Yarwun, the thermal energy storage (TES) industrial demonstration project has seen continued discussion with the technology supplier Rondo and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). This project is expected to move to a feasibility study in 2025, pending additional support from ARENA. – At Yarwun, we executed a bio-pellet trial. A feedstock growing trial continues in North Queensland. We are progressing several partnership opportunities for bio- based energy supply to Gladstone. To reduce emissions in the calcination phase, we are focused on 2 main projects: 1) Substituting natural gas with green hydrogen. At Yarwun, the design and engineering