【Ferro-alloys.com】: Alcoa and Rio Tinto's technology joint venture (JV), ELYSIS, has successfully produced its first commercial-size inert anode cell at the Alma smelter, in Quebec, in what the partners describe as a first for emissions-free smelting technology at scale.

The 450 kA cell, installed at the end of an existing potline, represents a significant step toward the industrial deployment of inert anode technology, which eliminates all direct carbon emissions from the aluminium smelting process.

The breakthrough, announced on Thursday, followed years of research, development, and large-scale testing.

The inert anode process not only removes carbon from smelting but also has the potential to improve worker safety, lower operating costs and lift productivity. ELYSIS will continue testing on the commercial-size cell to collect data for future rollout.

“This historic milestone results from years of relentless innovation and teamwork of all ELYSIS employees and collaborators. While R&D is rarely linear, our combined efforts have turned vision into reality. Today, we’re not just powering a new cell, we’re powering the future of aluminium," commented ELYSIS president and CEO François Perras.

ELYSIS aims to revolutionise aluminium production by replacing carbon anodes with inert materials that generate oxygen instead of greenhouse gases.

• [Editor:Alakay]