Rio Tinto Alcan and BIXI, a partnership on a roll

Rio Tinto Alcan will be the title sponsor of Montreal’s new BIXI self-service bicycle rental system, supplying funding for the project as well as aluminium for the construction of the bicycles. BIXI will be offered to the public as of April 2009, with 2,400 bikes available at a network of 300 stations covering central Montreal.

“It’s a great way to get people out of their cars and fits very well with the Rio Tinto Group’s commitment to sustainability,” said Tom Albanese, Chief executive officer, Rio Tinto. “We are happy to be part of this innovative service that will contribute to making Montreal an even better place to live and work.”

The new BIXI bicycles, of which 40 prototypes are currently seen on the streets of Montreal, are designed by Michel Dallaire and manufactured in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region by Cycles DeVinci. Their aluminium frames are light, strong, durable and entirely recyclable. Aluminium can be recycled indefinitely without compromising its quality, and recycling aluminium only requires five per cent of the electricity necessary to produce new metal.

“Once again, Rio Tinto Alcan is showing its unwavering support for Montreal and its citizens,” said Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay. “By contributing to the most economical and ecological means of transportation in town, Rio Tinto Alcan is not only producing aluminium, it’s also producing a greener future for our beautiful city.”

Rio Tinto Alcan supports numerous local organisations, including the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal and the Montreal Neurological Institute, and is the founding sponsor for the construction of the new Montreal Planetarium. The company is also a major contributor to Quebec and Canadian communities through the Rio Tinto Alcan Canada Fund, which last week announced its first series of community investments, totalling over C$15 million.

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto’s business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.