Rio Tinto to export green aluminium through Marubeni partnership

Rio Tinto and Japanese trader and business conglomerate Marubeni Corporation have announced that they have made an agreement on a first sale under a new strategic Collaboration Agreement to secure a sustainable and reliable supply of Rio Tinto’s Responsible Aluminium products to Japanese downstream manufacturers.

The first sale is a batch of Rio Tinto’s RenewAl high purity aluminium, from the renewably powered New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS), to a major Japanese motorcycle manufacturer committed to reducing carbon emissions throughout its supply chains and manufacturing process.

The agreement, said to be the first of its kind in Japan and the Asia–Pacific region, is focused on providing downstream industry with a simple, integrated way to achieve ESG-related goals and requirements, such as reducing carbon footprints, disclosing lifecycle assessment (LCA) and sourcing responsibly. It will also provide strong long-term security of supply at a time of growing supply-chain risks.

It combines Rio Tinto’s suite of Responsible Aluminium products — which include RenewAl certified low carbon aluminium, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative certified aluminium, and the digital traceability platform START — with Marubeni’s extensive trading network, commercial capability and carbon credit mechanism, Neutr-Al, which will be offered as part of the collaboration.

“We are excited to be a part of the first producer–trading house marketing partnership focused on delivering sustainability throughout the aluminium supply chain,” said Tolga Egrilmezer, Rio Tinto Head of Sales & Marketing. “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,” said 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 through the company’s many years of aluminium trading.”

Image caption: New Zealand Aluminium Smelters.