Material Value Chains

We are decarbonizing the materials that go into our everyday goods, including metals and minerals, steel, and cement.  

What Is the Material Value Chains Initiative?

We’re focused on decarbonizing the sourcing and transformation of raw materials like minerals, metals, cement, and plastic. Expanding on our current expertise in mining, we will use a blend of thought leadership, direct customer engagement, and scaling mechanisms to help spur decarbonization of the materials that are the foundation of our everyday lives.

Why It Matters

Carbon emissions from mining, steel, and cement account for almost seven gigatons of emissions each year, which is equal to the emissions from a year’s worth of electricity for over 1.2 billion homes, almost ten times the number of homes in the United States.

WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED

COMET

Together with MIT’s Sustainable Supply Chains initiative, the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment, and the Colorado School of Mines, we have launched COMET (the Coalition on Materials Emissions Transparency) to create a universal greenhouse gas (GHG) calculation framework for the mineral and industrial supply chains.

Photovoltaic Solar Array In Rosamond, California

Renewable Resources at Mines Tracker

RMI’s Renewable Resources at Mines tracker (R2M) provides sourced data on renewable energy projects sited at mines, either active or legacy, as well as projects owned by mining companies. All data collected is publicly available and includes both commissioned and announced projects.

BHP

In 2017, the Material Value Chains team at Rocky Mountain Institute worked with the multinational mining company BHP on an energy and sustainability analysis of BHP's North American portfolio of 22 legacy mines. The goal of this analysis was to identify a ranking of the best potential sites for redevelopment into grid-scale renewable energy generating assets. As a result, the team identified over 500 MW of potential new capacity build. Sunshine for Mines' analysis considered both commercially established technologies like solar PV, wind energy, pumped hydro, and lithium-ion battery storage, as well as innovative options including electricity generation from shaft airflow and flywheel batteries. Sunshine for Mines continues to work with BHP on developing the top-ranked sites and advising on project pipeline life cycle from design to commercialization.

Latest Insight Brief in partnership with BHP: A Second Life for Legacy Mines

Anglo American

RMI were asked by Anglo American to take part in their FutureSmartTM Energy Open Forum in 2016. As part of the stimulus ahead of the ideation sessions, RMI developed a conceptual solution for a zero-carbon, off-grid Tier 1 production copper mine. Considering a number of renewable options, the study demonstrated clearly the current economic limits of renewable power as a viable power option for a large-scale operating mine and succeeded in its objective of stimulating valuable discussion on the use of renewables in the mining industry.

In 2018, RMI completed a study on the financial and carbon impacts of alternative fuels and transportation methods relative to Anglo American’s current diesel-based haul fleet. The project showed the potential to reduce GHG emissions for new mines through integrating nontrucking solutions, like trolleys and in-pit crushing and conveying, and for active mines through switching to alternative fuels such as biodiesel or liquid natural gas.

Gold Fields

In 2015, Gold Fields engaged with RMI’s Material Value Chains team to undertake a company-wide energy security plan review and then to design and develop a renewable energy solution for South Deep. Sunshine for Mines delivered a solution comprised of 40 MW of solar PV with up to 7.5 MWh of storage, which is competitive with grid energy costs, enhances the reliability of supply, and has a positive benefit-to-cost ratio. Sunshine for Mines served as an advisor and knowledge partner throughout the review, design and procurement process.

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OUR TEAM

ned harvey headshot

Ned Harvey

Thomas Koch Blank

Thomas Koch Blank
Managing Director

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Alastaire Dick

Paolo Natali

Paolo Natali
Principal

patrick

Patrick Molloy
Manager

Jessie Lund

thomas kirk headshot

Thomas Kirk
Manager

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LeeAnn Baronett

Wendy Lu McGill

Kathleen Wight

Kathleen Wight

Annabelle Sullivan

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Raghav Muralidharan
Senior Associate

Charles Cannon

Charles Cannon
Manager

From the planning stage through the RFP process, Rocky Mountain Institute’s Material Value Chains program was a valuable strategic advisor and knowledge partner as we sought leading-edge energy solutions.

‐Tsakani Mthombeni, Global Head of Carbon & Energy, Gold Fields

RESOURCES

New Initiative launched at Davos to Decarbonize Mineral and Industrial Supply Chains

2020

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We Are Living in a Materials World

2019

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The Disruptive Power of Green Steel

2019

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How much CO2 is embedded in a product?

2019

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Pulling The Weight of Heavy Truck Decarbonization

2019

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Repowering Old Mines with New Energies in the Southwestern United States

2019

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A Renewable Hydrogen Way Forward for the Mining Industry?

2018

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Decarbonization Pathways for Mines: A Headlamp in the Darkness

2018

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Mining for Emissions Reductions: Strike While the Earth Is Cool

2018

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How Mining Can Help Bring Clean Energy Access to the Developing World

2018

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5 Reasons Your Mine Should Invest in On-Site Renewables in 2018: Key Lessons Learned from the First 1 GW Installed

2018

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A Second Life for Legacy Mining Sites

2017

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Digging for Carbon Cuts: How the Mining Industry can Win with Renewables

2017

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Mining Renewable Energy: South Deep Mine

2017

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Toward Sustainable Mining

2017

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Missing a Mining Opportunity

2017

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