In early 2021, Rio Tinto, one of the world’s largest mining companies, unveiled a blockchain sustainability solution for aluminum, START. Today the mining firm and auto manufacturer BMW Group announced a partnership to supply START-tracked aluminum to BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, from 2024.
Blockchain is just one part of the offering, adding traceability so customers and consumers can track the aluminum’s provenance and ESG compliance.
The reduced carbon footprint of the aluminum is based on three factors. Rio Tinto uses hydro electric power in Canada, and it will include up to 50% recycled aluminum. The biggest contribution is a new aluminum smelting technology ELYSIS that claims to emit pure oxygen rather than carbon dioxide during the smelting process. It was developed in partnership with competitor Alcoa with support from Apple and the governments of Canada and Quebec.
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