Friday 16 September 2022

Rio Tinto and Volvo partner for low carbon materials supply

Rio Tinto has announced an agreement to supply sustainably-sourced, low carbon products and solutions to Volvo Group, including for electric and autonomous vehicles.

It will provide materials including lithium, low carbon aluminium, copper and metallics and support the transport and infrastructure provider's ambition towards a net zero future.

The strategic partnership also includes efforts to decarbonise the metals and mining company's operations through piloting Volvo Group's sustainable autonomous hauling solutions.

Jakob Stausholm, Rio Tinto Chief Executive said: “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.

“We will be working together to support the decarbonisation of Rio Tinto’s operations and deliver low carbon materials for use in Volvo’s innovative product range, including electric and autonomous vehicles.”

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.

Martin Lundstedt, Volvo President and Chief Executive Officer added: “We are eager to partner with Rio Tinto, a true collaboration aiming to accelerate our ambitions towards a fossil-free, decarbonised future.

“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.”