Rio Tinto installs four 85-tonne bauxite residue filter presses at its refinery in Quebec

Rio Tinto has reportedly begun the commissioning of an industry-leading filter press technology at its Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Quebec, under CAD $250 million budget. Four 85-tonne presses have been already installed. The original scheduled time of commissioning the presses was six weeks later.

By moving the refinery to dry stacking of bauxite residue in just 17 minutes instead of 3 years it takes currently, the new filter presses are expected to deliver environmental benefits. It will extend the life of the refinery operation as well, which supports 1,000 jobs in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region. The presses will be fully operational by early 2020.

Bauxite residue is primarily composed of the insoluble fraction of the bauxite ore that remains after extraction of the aluminium-containing components. Iron oxides (10 – 30%), titanium dioxide (2 – 15%), silicon oxide (5 – 20%) and undissolved alumina (0 – 20%) make up the residue, together with a wide range of other oxides which will vary according to the initial bauxite source.

Rio Tinto Managing Director of Quebec Operations Sebastien Ross said: “The commissioning of this industry-leading filter press technology demonstrates Rio Tinto’s commitment to investing in the sustainability of its world-class assets here in Canada. Moving to dry stacking will benefit the local community and our operation by reducing the area needed to store bauxite residue and making the rehabilitation of the site easier. I want to thank our employees and our partners for their outstanding execution in this project, which will help to ensure a strong future for Vaudreuil.”