Rio Tinto and BMW partner on premium aluminium car parts
LONDON – Gone are the days when premium car buyers simply looked for speed, style, and luxury. Today, there’s increasing interest in the origin, sustainability and emissions profile of the materials used to build their cars.
The new mantra for the high-end auto industry is “green is the new black.” From the leather used for upholstery to the metals used for engine parts, premium car buyers are increasingly demanding vehicles made from responsibly sourced materials.
This fundamental shift in the automotive market has led to the creation of a new, innovative partnership between Rio Tinto and the BMW Group, leaders in their respective industries who share a common goal of developing more responsible, sustainable, traceable and secure supply chains.
Under this new partnership, Rio Tinto plans to provide responsibly sourced aluminium to the BMW Group’s vehicle production plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for use in body components from 2024.
Low-carbon primary aluminium from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada, combined with recycled content, could generate a reduction of up to 70 percent in CO2 emissions compared to the BMW Group’s benchmark for aluminium.
The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will see technical experts working together on how to embed these low-carbon solutions into the BMW Group’s supply chain while ensuring the highest standards of vehicle quality are maintained. The partnership provides for the use of aluminium produced using ELYSIS™ on BMW production vehicles. ELYSIS™ is the world’s first carbon free smelting technology for aluminium as it enables the production of aluminium metal without direct carbon dioxide emissions during the smelting process, instead emitting pure oxygen.
