Rio Tinto announced on March 2, 2026 that it will begin construction of a pilot plant to extract primary gallium from its alumina refining process at the Complexe Jonquière in Saguenay, Quebec. The announcement follows the first successful gallium extraction in May 2025.
The pilot plant will be built on the same site as the existing alumina refinery and is expected to be operational in 2027. A demonstration plant capable of producing up to 3.5 tonnes of gallium per year is planned for the same location, with a potential commercial‑scale plant of up to 40 tonnes per year in the future.
The project has received a conditionally approved contribution of up to C$18.95 million from Natural Resources Canada under the Global Partnerships Initiative, and a C$7 million commitment from the Government of Québec, made in December 2024. The funding reflects the strategic importance of gallium as a critical mineral for high‑performance radars, smartphones, electric‑vehicle batteries and laptops.
Rio Tinto partnered with Indium Corporation, which designed and developed the extraction technology in the United States. The partnership leverages Indium’s expertise and Rio Tinto’s alumina refining capacity to create a new value stream from an existing asset.
The initiative addresses a supply‑chain gap in North America, where no primary gallium production exists, and counters China’s dominance of 80‑95 % of global production. By extracting gallium from its alumina process, Rio Tinto aims to diversify supply, reduce reliance on imports, and support the region’s critical‑mineral strategy.
The project will use Quebec’s renewable hydroelectric power, giving it a lower carbon footprint than many global producers. The pilot plant’s success will validate the technology in an industrial environment and could accelerate the development of a commercial‑scale facility.
“Our Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Québec is a strategic asset for our integrated aluminium operations. Extracting gallium from our existing refining process would create additional value from this asset and strengthen the North American supply chain for gallium,” said Jérôme Pécresse, Rio Tinto Aluminium and Lithium Chief Executive.
“Research and development are essential to building the responsible and resilient critical mineral supply chains that power clean energy, advanced manufacturing and defence readiness,” said Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
“I’m delighted to support this project, which promotes the acquisition of cutting‑edge knowledge in the transformation of gallium, a critical and strategic metal in Quebec and around the world,” said Maïté Blanchette Vézina, Quebec’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
The announcement signals Rio Tinto’s commitment to expanding its critical‑mineral portfolio and to strengthening North American supply chains, positioning the company to benefit from growing demand for gallium in advanced technologies.
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