Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Group is teaming up with Japanese trader and business conglomerate Marubeni Corporation on a collaboration to purchase Rio Tinto’s low-carbon aluminium for sale to Japanese downstream manufacturers.
The firm said that the Collaboration Agreement’s first sale of RenewAl low-carbon aluminium will be to a major Japanese motorcycle manufacturer. The high-purity aluminium will be supplied by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS), which is powered by renewable energy.
This is the first such agreement in the region, noted Rio Tinto, and it is intended to meet the need for easy ways for downstream companies to reach their ESG-related goals and requirements. RenewAl aluminium is certified low carbon by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), and is eligible for use on Marubeni’s commercial capability and carbon credit mechanism Neutr-Al.
“We are excited to be a part of the first producer-trading house marketing partnership focused on delivering sustainability throughout the aluminium supply chain,” explained Tolga Egrilmezer, Rio Tinto Head of Sales & Marketing, in a press release.
“Consumers want to know more about the products they buy and be assured that they have been produced responsibly and sustainably. By working with partners like Marubeni, we can help our downstream customers in the aluminium value chain meet this growing consumer demand, while at the same time advancing our commitment to decarbonise our product value chains.”
“Marubeni’s Mid-Term Management Strategy GC 2024 positions green strategy as a fundamental platform to enhance corporate value,” noted Marubeni Chief Operating Officer, Metals & Mineral Resources Division Daisuke Tsuchiya. “Aluminium-related business is an area of focus within this green strategy to enable a transition to a decarbonised society. Through this collaboration, Marubeni will contribute to creating a decarbonised society by supplying responsible aluminium, produced by Rio Tinto, to various customers through Marubeni’s interface, which has been built up over through the company’s many years of aluminium trading.”