Rio Tinto has begun shipping the equivalent of 21 Eiffel Towers in scrap steel for recycling as it undertakes the largest demolition project in Australia’s history at its Gove alumina refinery site.

The company said the demolition was part of the broader closure program at Rio Tinto’s Gove operations in East Arnhem Land, where bauxite mining is expected to cease later this decade.

In total, 142,000 tonnes of steel in 10 shipments will be exported to Asia from the Gove refinery site, where demolition began last year.

Around 300,000 tonnes of concrete will also be recycled for local road construction and other projects.

The refinery demolition is being led by Liberty Industrial.

‌The Gove refinery processed bauxite mined nearby into alumina from 1972 to 2014. In 2017 the decision was made to permanently close the refinery, and work began to prepare the site for demolition and remediation.

The refinery demolition and remediation project is targeting completion in 2027.