Leading phone maker Apple purchased its first batch of carbon-free aluminium manufactured by Elysis, a Montreal-based joint venture between Rio Tinto and Alcoa, backed by Apple.
The innovative technology employed by Elysis emits pure oxygen and helps Apple reduce its carbon footprint. Traditional smelting process emits greenhouse-gases (GHG) including carbon dioxide. The technology is expected to be ready for commercial sale in 2024.
Rio Tinto announced in the statement that Government of Canada, Government of Quebec and Apple are investing to support the innovation. In 2018, Apple has provided an investment of C$13mn ($10m) while Alcoa Corp and Rio Tinto have invested $144mn in the project.
In iPhone 8, 80pc of the GHG emissions happen during the production of the metals used in the phones’ case, according to Apple’s environment report. The metal to be delivered to Apple was produced at the Alcoa Technical Center in Pittsburgh. Alcoa’s product is expected to disrupt the traditional aluminium production processes as it both efficient and carbon-free.
