Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Group and Sweden’s Volvo Group have signed an agreement to establish a partnership for the supply of low-carbon aluminium and other metals products in exchange for assistance with establishing a sustainable self-piloted system for hauling such metals.
The Memorandum of Understanding will help Rio Tinto meet its sustainability commitments while helping Volvo with its own goal of net-zero production. Among the metals to be part of the new partnership are aluminium, copper, lithium, and metallics.
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said in a press release that the partnership will be of benefit to both parties.
“We look forward to partnering with Volvo to progress our contribution to a net-zero future, as we collaborate to deliver sustainable outcomes from the mine to the showroom floor. We will be working together to support the decarbonisation of Rio Tinto’s operations and deliver low-carbon materials for use in Volvo’s innovative product range, including electric and autonomous vehicles.”
Volvo President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Lundstedt said that the memorandum of understanding meshes well with his firm’s existing goals.
“We are eager to partner with Rio Tinto, a true collaboration aiming to accelerate our ambitions towards a fossil-free, decarbonised future. By addressing the full value chain, from the use of low-carbon materials in our products, to providing our customers with sustainable autonomous hauling solutions, we can contribute to a better and more sustainable future.”
Among the Rio Tinto products to be supplied as part of the agreement are RenewAl low-carbon aluminium, zero-carbon aluminium produced via the ELYSIS smelting method, and aluminium certified as low-carbon by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative.