en.Wedoany.com Reported - Rio Tinto said on Wednesday it has signed a five-year agreement with Australian bioenergy company SuperChar for the supply of bio-pellets to its alumina refinery in Gladstone, supporting its transition to cleaner energy.

According to its annual report, Rio Tinto's total Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions for 2025 were 31.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

Rio Tinto said the first locally produced bio-pellets are expected to be supplied to its refinery in 2028.

The agreement highlights Rio Tinto's plan to use bio-pellets as one of the potential alternatives to reduce the alumina refining sector's reliance on fossil fuels.

Armando Torres, Managing Director of Rio Tinto's Pacific Aluminium operations, said: "Reducing the reliance of alumina refineries on fossil fuels requires a combination of technology, innovation, and partnerships. Bio-pellets are one of the practical options we are exploring."

Under the agreement, Rio Tinto plans to conduct a series of assessments to use bio-pellets as a supplement to coal for boilers at its Gladstone alumina refineries—Yarwun and Queensland Alumina.

SuperChar plans to build a production facility in Gladstone, initially producing 35,000 tonnes of bio-pellets per year, which could reduce Rio Tinto's reported annual Scope 1 emissions by up to 90,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

Rio Tinto operates and holds major stakes in several alumina refineries globally, with key hubs in Queensland, Australia, and Quebec, Canada. These refineries produce critical smelter-grade alumina to supply its low-carbon aluminium smelting operations and global customers.