ANU Enters Partnership With Rio Tinto To Support Global Energy Transition

Study Abroad: ANU has entered into a partnership with Rio Tinto. Under the collaboration, the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials will bring together researchers and industry experts to work towards a global energy transition.

Study in Australia: Australian National University (ANU) has entered into a partnership with Rio Tinto to support global energy transition.

Rio Tinto invested $US150 million to create the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials. The amount was invested over a period of 10 years. The Centre will be led by the Imperial College London and it will connect ANU with industry bodies and researchers from around the world.

Professor Peter Yu, Vice-President (First Nations) at ANU, said, “It is exciting to be bringing together expertise from across a range of societal, Indigenous, environmental, scientific, social scientific, and technological perspectives."

“The sense of urgency around this work is not just about our changing climate or the projections around the volume of minerals needed to replace fossil fuels in our global energy systems; it is equally rooted in fostering Indigenous rights and creating a more equitable society for all," added Peter Yu.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Genevieve Bell added, “The materials that will form the focus of the Centre’s work are central to our everyday lives. It is vital we think about how best to extract and use them. I am proud ANU is bringing a strong First Nations and social sciences perspective to the Centre. In being involved at all levels – from production to policy, to public engagement – ANU will ensure the work of the Centre is leading to a future that is sustainable for the environment, and also equitable to all.”

ANU, Rio Tinto Partnership Details

The Centre will act as a hub for partnership with global institutes including The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, The University of California, Berkeley, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and ANU.

Rio Tinto Chief Innovation Officer Dan Walker commented, “Meeting growing demand for the materials the world needs requires both urgency and care. We're working to increase the production of materials needed for the energy transition while reducing environmental impacts and ensuring Indigenous communities have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lands and lives. This means reimagining how we operate - from exploration through to rehabilitation."

“The path to net zero demands innovation and collaboration. Many technologies needed for the energy transition don't exist yet, and no single organisation can solve these challenges alone. Our partnerships with ANU and other research universities will help us develop better ways to produce materials responsibly," added Dan Walker.

Madeleine King, Australian Minister for Resources, said, “This investment by Rio Tinto will ultimately help boost supplies of critical minerals and strategic materials through top levels of research and development. This investment also means Australian universities like ANU continue to contribute to growing our resources sector to create good and well-paid jobs for future generations of Australians."

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