Mining giant Anglo American launches traceability system

Sustainability in the mining industry and its impact on the planet and its population is a big issue at the moment, and Anglo American has launched a traceability system to help its customers have “greater assurance about the provenance of the products they purchase.”

The company’s Valutrax platform, based on blockchain technology, can be used to track metals and minerals from mine to customer, according to the company, which says it provides “a comprehensive, immutable view of a product’s core information via a user-friendly portal.”

The move comes as the transition away from fossil fuels towards green replacements will require more mining and processing of non-renewable mineral resources to supply renewable sources of energy like wind, solar and geothermal power.

A digital label can be downloaded for each delivery, providing key data on provenance, carbon emissions intensity, safety and the social impact of its products, along with an overview of Anglo American’s environment, social and corporate governance (ESG) policies.

The introduction of Valutrax is the latest stage in a traceability journey that started in 2018 with the development by its De Beers diamond mining subsidiary of Tracr, a blockchain system that tracks stones through the supply chain. The system was activated last year in response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Each diamond is given a unique ID when it is mined, which allows a chain of custody to be generated for the item all the way to the retailer.

“The metals and minerals we provide are essential to the global energy transition and improving living standards for a growing and urbanising population – these are future-enabling products,” said Paul Ward, head of base metals marketing for Anglo American.

“Valutrax has been designed as a platform to drive greater transparency across our entire production and logistics chain,” he added. “It aims to give our customers direct access to indicators that can help determine compliance with requirements in their specific industries or jurisdictions and to then make appropriate decisions to support their sustainability strategies and other value drivers.”