Rio Tinto and Prysmian joined their forces to produce low-carbon aluminium cables, using a new technology. The project is set to boost sustainability in the market.

Rio Tinto and Prysmian have partnered on an industrial trial to produce low-carbon aluminium cables. These are designed for the rapidly growing data center market, combining smelting and cable technologies to reduce the carbon footprint of critical IT infrastructure. In detail, Rio Tinto and Prysmian signed a five-year supply agreement in 2023.

“As we work toward our goal of reaching Net Zero by 2035, we recognize that our customers, particularly in the data center sector, share similar pledges. Partnering with Rio Tinto allows us to leverage our existing supplier relationship and evolve sustainable innovations,” said Srinivas Siripurap Prysmian Chief Sustainability, R&D, and Innovation Officer.

Low-carbon production with Elysis technology

In the trial phase, Rio Tinto manufactured aluminium rod using a blend of low-carbon aluminium from their hydro powered Alma smelter in Quebec, Canada. Here, aluminium is produced using the Elysis technology.

Elysis is designed to eliminate all direct greenhouse gas emissions from the aluminium smelting process. Instead, it is set to produce oxygen, representing a milestone in the decarbonization of aluminium production, according to Rio Tinto.

Rio Tinto Aluminium interim Vice President Sales and Marketing, Matt Schicke said: “This partnership with Prysmian demonstrates Rio Tinto’s ability to deliver innovative, low-carbon aluminium solutions tailored to our customers’ needs. By combining our low-carbon aluminium portfolio with breakthrough technologies like Elysis, we are aiming to support the decarbonization of key growth markets, including the rapidly expanding data center sector.”

Growth in data center sector

The demand for data center infrastructure continues to grow. According to CRU, the data center sector represented approximately 7% of total North American cable demand in 2025 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 17% until 2030. Aluminium plays an important role: as operators seek more cost-efficient solutions, aluminium will be increasingly included in cables. (ab)

Source：INTERNATIONAL ALUMINIUM JOURNAL