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US🧪 Chemicals / MaterialsPublished: 18 September 2026
[Supply Chain] Prysmian and Rio Tinto Bring Low-Carbon Aluminium Cables to an Amazon AI Data Centre — Decarbonising AI Infrastructure from the Materials Up
Source:Reuters (Prysmian announcement)
On 18 September 2026, Italian cable maker Prysmian and mining group Rio Tinto announced that power cables made with low-carbon aluminium produced using Rio Tinto's ELYSIS technology will be installed at an Amazon (AWS) data centre in Ohio. According to Prysmian, this is believed to be the industry's first use of aluminium produced with inert anode technology in a data centre, and the cables will be manufactured at its plant in Sedalia, Missouri. ELYSIS technology replaces the conventional carbon anodes used in aluminium smelting, eliminating direct greenhouse gas emissions and producing oxygen instead. AWS has also linked the initiative to its 2040 net-zero target. This is a voluntary decarbonisation initiative between companies, driven by the growth in power demand from AI infrastructure rather than by regulatory requirements.
Editor's View
The expansion of AI data centres drives demand not only for electricity itself but also for materials such as aluminium and copper used in cables and other power infrastructure. This case shows that data centre decarbonisation is beginning to extend beyond electricity procurement during operation to the materials used in construction. It is also notable that the starting point is a customer's voluntary net-zero target rather than a regulatory obligation; for materials and component manufacturers, being able to demonstrate low-carbon credentials may become one of the conditions for being selected by major buyers.
※ This article is based on official public information from an external source (Reuters (Prysmian announcement)) and has been analyzed and organized for practical use.
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