HIGHLIGHTS
- Initially, Elysis intended to commercialise its technology.
- There were no specifics on the magnitude or cost of the purchase.
- Aluminium is produced using a ceramic anode that emits only oxygen.
Apple said on Thursday that it will purchase its first industrial-size batch of carbon-free aluminium for use in the low-cost iPhone SE, as part of a push to decrease the carbon footprint of the metal it employs significantly in product shells.
There were no details on the purchase's size or price.
Due to its environmental effect, the iPhone manufacturer has been taking measures to decrease its usage of the carbon-intensive metal, which releases direct greenhouse gases during the smelting process and has sparked consumer, activist, and investor protest.
In 2019, Apple purchased a smaller quantity of the lab-made metal from Elysis, a Montreal-based joint venture of Alcoa and Rio Tinto, two of the world's largest aluminium suppliers. The metal was utilised in the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Elysis had hoped to commercialise their technique, which produces aluminium using a ceramic anode and emits only oxygen, by 2024.
