Rio Tinto and Marubeni team up to strengthen downstream aluminium supply chains

To ensure a sustainable and consistent supply of Rio Tinto's Responsible Aluminium products to Japanese downstream manufacturers, global miner Rio Tinto and Japanese trader and business conglomerate Marubeni Corporation have agreed to the first sale under the new strategic Collaboration Agreement.

A significant Japanese motorcycle manufacturer committed to decreasing carbon emissions throughout its supply chains and production process purchased the first batch of Rio Tinto's RenewAl™ high-purity aluminium from the sustainably powered New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS).

"We are excited to be a part of the first producer-trading house marketing partnership focused on delivering sustainability throughout the aluminium supply chain. 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," said Tolga Egrilmezer, Rio Tinto Head of Sales & Marketing.

The agreement, the first of its kind in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, aims to give the downstream industry a straightforward, integrated method of achieving ESG-related objectives and requirements, like lowering carbon footprints, disclosing lifecycle assessment (LCA), and sourcing responsibly. It will also offer solid long-term supply security in an era of rising supply-chain vulnerabilities.

The partnership combines Marubeni's extensive trading network, commercial capability, and carbon credit mechanism, Neutr-Al™, with Rio Tinto's Responsible Aluminium product line, which includes RenewAl™, the first low carbon aluminium in the industry to be certified, ASI-certified aluminium, and the digital traceability platform START.

“Marubeni's Mid-Term Management Strategy GC 2024 positions green strategy as a fundamental platform to enhance corporate value. 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,” said Marubeni Chief Operating Officer, Metals & Mineral Resources Division Daisuke Tsuchiya.