Rio Tinto smelter revs up in Kitimat

Commodities giant Rio Tinto has brought its rebuilt Kitimat aluminum smelter up to full production levels of 420,000 tonnes per year, nearly double that of the facility’s old equipment, the company said Wednesday. The modernized smelter, built at a cost of $4.8 billion, started pouring its first aluminum last July, replacing the plant’s original smelting lines, the first of which began production in 1954. Rio Tinto’s top executive in the aluminum division, Alf Barrios, called the rebuilt smelter “one of the lowest-cost and most efficient” in the world, operating off a hydroelectric power source, which the company also owns and sells surplus electricity to BC Hydro. He said the rebuilt facility is well-positioned to serve markets in Asia and North America.