Electronics firm Schneider Electric and miner Rio Tinto have formed a partnership to “develop a circular and sustainable market ecosystem”.
The collaboration will see Schneider use responsibly-sourced materials produced by Rio Tinto, while the miner will use energy and industrial services from Scheider.
Under a MOU, the companies will work together to develop digital platforms, technologies and solutions to be deployed across the metals and mining supply chain to drive decarbonisation.
Alf Barrios, chief commercial officer at Rio Tinto, said: “This unique partnership will help accelerate decarbonisation and renewable energy solutions by combining low-carbon materials with cutting-edge digital technology.
“This collaboration also opens doors to consider strategic initiatives such as expanding the use of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to reduce downtime in our plants, digitisation of our supply chains, and a host of other transformative technologies.”
The partnership will evaluate the use of innovative solutions, including microgrids, to supply energy from low-carbon sources, and artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to help meet sustainability goals at Rio Tinto sites and throughout its supply chains.
Barbara Frei, executive vice-president industrial automation at Schneider Electric, said: “We are excited to work with Rio Tinto to develop clean and pioneering solutions to meet industrial decarbonisation challenges.
“Schneider Electric is on a mission to make industries of the future eco-efficient, agile, and resilient through open, software-centric industrial automation and sustainable energy solutions. This new partnership demonstrates that Rio Tinto is as passionate as we are about bridging progress and sustainability for all.”
The companies will also evaluate emerging innovation opportunities, such as the efficient production of critical materials for renewable technologies and advances in low-carbon, green steel manufacturing, which they claim will play a long-term role in industrial decarbonisation throughout the sector.
Schneider Electric topped a global ranking to be named the most sustainable corporation earlier this year. The annual green company league table, compiled by researcher Corporate Knights, ranked over 8,000 companies with annual revenues of over $1bn to determine the most sustainable businesses.
The company also ranked fourth in Gartner’s global Supply Chain Top 25, which identifies supply chain leaders and highlights supply chain best practices.
Schneider’s market value more than doubled to €70bn over the past two years.
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