Rio Tinto and Volvo Group signed an MOU to create a strategic partnership in which Rio Tinto will supply responsibly sourced low-carbon products to Volvo. The companies will work towards decarbonizing Rio Tinto’s operations through piloting Volvo Group’s sustainable autonomous hauling solutions.
The multi-materials partnership will allow Rio Tinto, a leading global mining and metals company, to progress sustainability commitments in its operations and supply chains. Further, it will support Volvo, one of the world’s largest transport and infrastructure providers, in its ambition toward a net-zero value chain, with sustainable sourcing of raw materials including lithium, low-carbon aluminum, copper, and metallics.
“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,” said Jakob Stausholm, Rio Tinto chief executive. “We will be working together to support the decarbonization of Rio Tinto’s operations and deliver low-carbon materials for use in Volvo’s innovative product range, including electric and autonomous vehicles.”
The companies will work together to strengthen the supply of responsibly sourced low-carbon materials such as RenewAl (Rio Tinto’s certified low-CO2 aluminum), aluminum produced using the ELYSIS™ zero-carbon smelting technology, Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certified aluminum, and Copper Mark certified copper. Additionally, the collaboration will explore product development opportunities such as the supply of lithium for batteries.
“We are eager to partner with Rio Tinto, a true collaboration aiming to accelerate our ambitions towards a fossil-free, decarbonized future,” said Martin Lundstedt, Volvo president and chief executive officer. “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.”
Autonomous Hauling
The autonomous hauling solution offered by Volvo Autonomous Solutions is based on Transport as a Service (TaaS) and includes a vehicle purpose-built for autonomous driving, a virtual driver, required infrastructure, operations and uptime support as well as a cloud solution that controls the transport system and manages logistics flows. The Volvo Autonomous Solutions are tailor-made for each customers’ needs and intended to make their operations more safe, productive and sustainable.