Tag Archives: Aymium

Rio Tinto and Aymium to investigate renewable metallurgical biocarbon production

Energy minerals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto and Aymium have formed a new joint venture named Évolys Québec Inc to, they say, manufacture a renewable metallurgical biocarbon product to reduce carbon emissions in large scale industrial processes.

This biocarbon, sourced from biomass residues, offers an alternative for anthracite currently used in ilmenite smelting processes at Rio Tinto’s metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy, Canada.

The joint venture will be established on the site of a former pulp and paper mill in Thurso, Québec. The Government of Québec selected Rio Tinto and Aymium to jointly revitalise these assets.

The proposed facility will use Aymium’s proprietary technology to locally produce high-quality biocarbon – a raw material in high demand, essential to fulfilling Rio Tinto’s commitments to decarbonisation. Rio Tinto has already observed promising results with this technology through the use of materials produced by Aymium at its metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy.

Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium (RTIT) and Diamonds Managing Director, Sophie Bergeron, said: “Decarbonisation is at the core of Rio Tinto’s strategy, and the Évolys joint venture provides us with a unique opportunity to produce local biocarbon, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of our Québec operations.

“We are pleased to be working with the Government of Québec to give a second life to the former Fortress site in Thurso and look forward to collaborating with local communities and our partner, Aymium, to develop a project that will not only benefit the environment but also reinvigorate the regional economy.”

Aymium CEO, James Mennell, added: “It is a fantastic opportunity for Aymium to expand our partnership with Rio Tinto through Évolys and develop this new project in Québec in addition to our current developments in the United States. Aymium is actively offering their products to several customers in Canada, and we see a great potential to expand the usage of biocarbon across many industries.”

Québec Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy; Minister for Regional Economic Development; and Minister for the Metropolis and the Montreal Region, Pierre Fitzgibbon, said: “The Évolys Québec project will enable a sustainable revival of the former Fortress site. It’s a new beginning with a technology that both decarbonizes our economy and adds value to the region’s forest residues.

Évolys will lease the portion of the pulp and paper mill that will be revitalised. Both partners are committed to advancing products and technologies that go beyond the conventional use of biocarbon as a substitute for fossil fuels, Rio says.

In 2022, Rio Tinto formed a strategic partnership with Aymium. In 2023, Rio Tinto further bolstered its collaboration with Aymium through an additional investment. This funding followed a thorough trial of Aymium’s biocarbon as a potential alternative energy source at Rio Tinto’s metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy.

The pulp and paper mill, formerly owned by Fortress, is located in the municipalities of Thurso and Lochaber-Partie-Ouest and closed in 2019. The Government of Québec appointed Deloitte to manage the takeover file and to evaluate the proposals received from candidates interested in taking over the facilities, including biomass already available.

Rio Tinto looks for commercial uses of Aymium renewable biocarbon products

Energy minerals, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto and Aymium have partnered to develop and trial a renewable biocarbon product for use as an alternative resource to reduce emissions in large scale industrial processes.

The product has been successfully trialled as a replacement for anthracite used in ilmenite smelting processes at Rio Tinto’s metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, a leading producer of high-grade titanium dioxide feedstock as well as iron and steel for specialised applications.

In a strengthening of the partnership, Rio Tinto has made a further equity investment in Aymium following its participation in a funding round in 2022. The second investment is part of Rio Tinto’s support for innovations needed to meet its 2030 emission reduction targets and deliver lower carbon supply chains.

The partners will now be working together on options for large-scale production of a biocarbon product.

Rio Tinto Minerals Chief Executive, Sinead Kaufman, said: “We are delighted to work with Aymium to develop and trial this renewable biocarbon product that has real potential as an alternative, low carbon resource for our processes. We are investing to deepen our partnership, as part our commitment to finding better ways to decarbonise our operations and the supply chains we are part of.”

Aymium CEO, James Mennell, said: “Our mission is to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and minimise our environmental impact. We are delighted about Rio Tinto’s follow-on investment as it will further advance our global mission to create bioproducts with enhanced performance and achieve ambitious emissions reduction targets.”

Funds from this investment will be directed towards advancing the construction of Aymium’s new production facilities in North America and supporting its research and development initiatives.

Aymium produces high-value biocarbon and biohydrogen products that, Rio Tinto says, can be used to immediately replace fossil fuels in the production of metals, energy, crops, and in the purification of water and air with no modifications to equipment or processes. Produced using biomass – recovered and unusable wood – Aymium’s bioproducts are renewable, carbon-negative and replace emission-heavy fossil fuels such as coal and coke, according to the company. Aymium’s technology is backed by more than 350 issued or pending patents on a global basis.