On behalf of the Australian Government, The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded AUD32.1 million (US$22.05. million) funding support for Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Corporation to trial hydrogen calcination technology at the Yarwun Alumina Refinery in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia.
The AUD111.1 million (US$76.33 million) 'Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Corporation Yarwun Hydrogen Calcination Pilot Demonstration Program’ will be the first-of-its-kind deployment of hydrogen calcination in the world. The project will consist of a 2.5 MW on-site electrolyzer to supply hydrogen and a retrofit of one of the refinery’s calciners to operate with a hydrogen burner.
Sumitomo Corporation will own and operate the electrolyzer at Rio Tinto’s Yarwun site and supply the hydrogen to Rio Tinto directly. The electrolyzer will have a production capacity of more than 250 tonnes of hydrogen annually.
If successful, the project will demonstrate the viability of hydrogen calcination and pave the way for adoption at scale across other alumina refineries.
