Project Venus
World class Canadian aluminum manufacturers Alcoa Canada and Rio Tinto Alcan are cooperating to form a new joint venture, Elysis LLP, to complete development of Alcoa's promising low-emission aluminum smelting technology. Supported by Rio Tinto Alcan's extensive development and commercialization experience the five year R&D project, entitled Project Venus, is expected to meet its key milestones by 2024, followed by a commercialization roll out that anticipates significant national and global adoption by 2042.
In accordance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals announced as part of Budget 2018, a detailed Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was completed for Project Venus. The assessment found that the SIF project is likely to have significant direct and indirect environmental effects that are expected to advance Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) goals and targets.
The principal joint venture partners in Project Venus propose to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the low-emission aluminum smelting technology at a commercial scale in two distinct phases between 2018 and 2024. The resulting Advanced Smelting Technology (AST) would eliminate the use of carbon anodes, decrease the energy and material intensity of aluminium smelting, and reduce the capital and operation costs as compared to the 130 year old conventional process, which currently emits 2.2 tonnes of CO2e for each tonne of aluminium produced in Canada. Project Venus' success will trigger the commercialization of this unique technology and process enabling Canadian smelter operators to become the world's first producers of truly low-emission aluminum.
If the five year project is successful, technical due diligence experts evaluating the project expect the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of Canada's aluminum smelters to be gradually reduced from the current 6.2 million metric tonnes of CO2e per year ( est. 2015) to essentially zero. This would also forestall increases in GHG production by the industry, anticipated to reach over 7 million metric tonnes by 2030 according to sources from Environment and Climate Change Canada. The total projection for reduction based on the anticipated global adoption is 27.4 million metric tonnes annually by 2042.
Adoption of the AST will foster the attainment of Canada's Climate Change goals. By developing this innovative and competitive process Project Venus will help to advance FSDS Goal 1- Effective action on climate change and Goal 3- Clean Growth defined as follows:
- Effective action on climate change: A low-carbon economy contributes to limiting global average temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius and supports efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
- Long-term goal: A low-carbon economy contributes to limiting global average temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius and supports efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius
- Medium-term target: By 2030, reduce Canada's total GHG emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels
- Long-term goal: A low-carbon economy contributes to limiting global average temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius and supports efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius
- Clean Growth: A growing clean technology industry in Canada contributes to clean growth and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
- Long-term goal: A growing clean technology industry in Canada contributes to clean growth and the transition to a low-carbon economy
- Medium-term target: Implement our Mission Innovation commitment to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration, by 2020, from 2015 levels
- Long-term goal: A growing clean technology industry in Canada contributes to clean growth and the transition to a low-carbon economy