Prysmian (BIT:PRY) and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) will supply electrical cables made with lower-carbon aluminium for an Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) data centre in Ohio, US.
The cables, which have been contracted for installation near Columbus, will contain aluminium produced using ELYSIS® inert-anode smelting technology.
Prysmian and Rio describe the project as the first known use of inert-anode-smelted aluminium in a data centre.
The ELYSIS® process replaces the carbon anodes used in conventional aluminium smelting with inert materials. The technology is said to remove direct greenhouse gas emissions from the smelting process and produces oxygen as a by-product.
The claim applies specifically to direct smelting emissions. The companies have not provided a comparison covering the cables’ full lifecycle emissions.
Rio Tinto Aluminum VP for Sales and Marketing Matt Schicke says lower-emissions materials could support efforts to decarbonise data centre infrastructure.
“This collaboration with Prysmian and Amazon demonstrates how innovation across the value chain can help deliver practical, lower-carbon solutions for customers,” Schicke says.
Rio says the aluminium was produced in Québec, Canada, using hydropower. This included metal produced with ELYSIS® technology, which is being developed through a joint venture between Rio andAlcoa (NYSE:AA).
Prysmian says the cables are manufactured and shipped from its factory in Sedalia, Missouri, US.
The arrangement follows Prysmian and Rio’s March announcement that they had introduced ELYSIS aluminium into building wire.
The companies have not disclosed the volume of aluminium or cable covered, the financial value, or the installation timetable.
Prysmian manufactures energy and telecommunications cable systems. Rio Tinto produces iron ore, aluminium, copper, and lithium.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: ELYSIS
