PRYSMIAN PARTNERS WITH RIO TINTO FOR INNOVATIVE ALUMINUM SOLUTION WITH ELYSIS™, ACCELERATING SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT

Prysmian recently took a step forward in the production of sustainably produced aluminum building wire in the United States, partnering with Rio Tinto to deliver product produced with ELYSIS™ aluminum. This innovation validates the use of ELYSIS™ aluminum in wire and cable production, enabling lower carbon emissions while supporting the company’s broader ambition to accelerate sustainability across its global footprint. 

At Prysmian’s 2025 Capital Markets Day, the company reaffirmed it will continue to create innovative solutions in partnership with customers, while committing to a significant acceleration of its sustainability targets, to become Net Zero by 2035. This brought forward the company’s original target of Net Zero by 2050.

As a part of this journey, Prysmian has committed to creating innovative solutions in partnership with customers and suppliers across the value chain, with a target of 55% of revenues from sustainability-linked solutions by 2028.

Prysmian and Rio Tinto are combining their expertise in low-carbon materials with concrete applications in Prysmian’s cable solutions. The partnership is focused on technology and research and development teams coming together to discuss innovative solutions and projects such as recycling initiatives, product circularity, traceability and transparency.

In 2023, Prysmian and Rio Tinto signed a five-year supply agreement for low-carbon aluminum produced with renewable hydropower from Rio Tinto’s Canadian operations. The two companies strengthened this partnership through a joint development agreement, leveraging Prysmian’s advanced technologies, R&D capabilities, and technical expertise to jointly develop multi-material solutions.

The partnership takes a significant step forward with the introduction of ELYSIS™ -produced aluminum building wire. ELYSIS™ technology eliminates all direct greenhouse gas emissions from the aluminum smelting process and emits oxygen as its by-product.

Srinivas Siripurapu, Chief Sustainability, R&D, and Innovation Officer for Prysmian, said: “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. We are proud to provide sustainable solutions to customers who align with those values. Partnering with Rio Tinto allows us to leverage our existing supplier relationship and evolve sustainable innovations that benefit not only Prysmian, but our customers as well.”

Laura Colli, Group Purchasing Officer at Prysmian, said: “Our partnership with Rio Tinto is one based on shared responsibility. Prysmian as the global leader in its sector feels a strong sense of responsibility towards all our stakeholders, as well as the planet itself. This announcement is another positive step forward where we combine innovation and sustainability to unlock new innovative solutions for our customers.”

Matt Schicke, Rio Tinto Aluminium Vice President, Sales and Marketing, said: “The 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 supporting decarbonisation efforts, including in the rapidly expanding data center sector.”

While ELYSIS™-produced aluminum remains in development and is not yet available in large production quantities, Prysmian remains committed to paving the way by investing in sustainable technologies and innovations.