Rio Tinto to spend $1.2bn to modernise 1926-era Quebec hydropower plant
Diversified mining company Rio Tinto is investing $1.2-billion, or C$1.7-billion, to modernise its Isle-Maligne hydroelectric power plant in Alma, Quebec, marking the mining giant’s largest investment in its hydro assets since the 1950s.
Commissioned in 1926, the facility powers Rio Tinto’s low-carbon aluminium operations in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. The modernisation project will run through 2032 and aims to secure long-term supply of renewable energy to the company’s smelters, casting houses and related infrastructure.
More than 300 workers are expected on-site at the peak of construction. Work includes replacing eight turbine-alternator groups, refurbishing water intakes and hydraulic passages, constructing an extension and mechanical workshop, and upgrading electrical and mechanical systems. A spillway will also be modified to ensure winter reliability.
“The Isle-Maligne hydroelectric power plant has been a strategic asset for Rio Tinto for 100 years, drawing on the expertise and dedication of multiple generations of employees and business partners,” said Sébastien Ross, MD of Atlantic Operations for Rio Tinto Aluminium.
“This major investment to modernise our facilities will ensure the long-term future and competitivity of our low carbon aluminium production in Quebec for decades to come for our Canadian and American customers.”
The upgrade follows $183-million (C$252-million) in previously announced spending for butterfly valve refurbishments and work on two other turbine-alternator groups at the site.
Rio Tinto operates seven hydroelectric facilities in Quebec and British Columbia, enabling its smelters to produce some of the lowest carbon aluminium globally. An eighth plant supplies power to the company’s port operations in Sept-Îles.
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