Marubeni Corporation starts selling carbon-neutral aluminium ingot ‘Neutr-AL’

Marubeni Corporation, a Japanese integrated trading and investment business conglomerate, has made an announcement on Friday, August 20, about its carbon-neutral aluminium ingot sale in Japan. The Tokyo-based trading house has started selling the product in response to customers’ demand and choice in favour of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. A large number of aluminium customers in the transport, packaging, and construction industries are looking to cut their carbon footprint and wanting to source low-carbon material.

On Friday, Marubeni started offering the ingot called “Neutr-Al”, which neutralises GHG emissions from bauxite mining, alumina production, aluminium smelting, and transportation to Japan by carbon credits.

The credits will be created by GHG reduction and absorption activities in Japan and abroad, such as tree planting.

Marubeni is selling the carbon-neutral ingot at no fixed cost. It will vary based on customers’ needs.

Aluminium is one of the metals sector’s largest emitters of GHG. The most carbon-intensive metal, which requires a huge amount of power to smelt, emits an average of 16.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of production. 

Marubeni official said, "Our aim is to help Japanese aluminium users who seek low-carbon or zero-carbon footprint." He added the company is already in talks with local aluminium end-users.