MWCC Inc.
MWCC Inc. (“MWCC”) today announced that it has signed an agreement with Rio Tinto Aluminium Limited (“Rio Tinto”), part of the Rio Tinto Group, one of the world’s leading mining and materials groups, to design, manufacture and test pilot-scale equipment to assess the potential of microwave-based bauxite technology in alumina refining. The agreement, entered into under the existing joint development agreement, builds on approximately two years of joint development.
■ Background: Decarbonization and AI Driving Aluminum Demand
Aluminum is lightweight, easy to form and highly recyclable, and is used widely in automobiles, aircraft and buildings. Its role in decarbonization continues to grow: lighter vehicles and aircraft burn less fuel, and lighter electric vehicles travel further on a single charge. Generative AI is now creating a new source of demand, as data centers and the power grids that supply them rely on aluminum for cooling systems, power distribution equipment and transmission lines. The United States, Europe and other economies have designated aluminum or bauxite as a critical mineral or raw material, reflecting its strategic importance.
Yet aluminum production is energy-intensive. Bauxite is refined into alumina, which is then converted into aluminum through electrolysis. Alumina refining requires substantial heat, much of which still comes from burning fossil fuels. Reducing energy use and emissions in aluminum production is therefore an urgent challenge for a material essential to decarbonization.
■ Microwave Technology
MWCC applies its proprietary microwave technology platform to electrify industrial processes, replacing fossil fuel-based heating with electricity in chemicals, metal smelting and mining.
■ Agreement Overview
Rio Tinto is working with MWCC to explore the potential of microwave-based bauxite technology to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in alumina refining.
MWCC will be responsible for the detailed design, manufacture, installation and testing of pilot equipment at its Osaka Plant and will evaluate optimal operating conditions. MWCC aims to leverage the results of the pilot trials to scale up the process to commercial scale.
Osaka Plant
■ MWCC’s Growth Strategy
Driven by the need for decarbonization and economic security, MWCC’s growth strategy rests on two pillars: expanding from chemicals and materials into resources and metals, and expanding from Japan into overseas markets. By applying microwave technology to ore processing with a leading global mining and materials group, this agreement advances both pillars at once.
MWCC’s Microwave Solutions (MWS) business is already developing ore processing technologies for lithium, nickel and other minerals, and this agreement adds bauxite, the raw material for aluminum. Because ore processing shares many common steps across minerals, it lends itself to equipment standardization. By broadening its technology base across multiple minerals, MWCC aims to roll out standardized equipment in the future.
■ Next Steps
Manufacturing of the pilot equipment is scheduled to begin in April 2027, with trials to commence following completion in March 2028.
■ CEO Comment
Iwao Yoshino, President and CEO, MWCC Inc.
“We are delighted to advance this work from laboratory and bench scale to pilot scale with Rio Tinto, one of the world’s leading mining and materials groups, after around two years of joint development. Generative AI is driving investment in data centers and power grids, making aluminum more important than ever. High-temperature smelting and refining processes are exactly where microwave electrification can make the greatest impact. This project exemplifies our strategy of expanding into resources and metals and into overseas markets. We will drive the pilot trials toward commercial-scale deployment and contribute to higher productivity and decarbonization in alumina refining.”
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■ About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and metals company, operating across 34 countries and 6 continents. The company focuses on extracting and processing essential minerals including iron ore, aluminum, copper, and lithium. Through innovation and long-standing partnerships, Rio Tinto works to operate responsibly and provide the materials the world needs.
■ About MWCC Inc.
Founded in 2007, MWCC changed its name from Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd. to MWCC Inc. on October 1, 2026. A deep tech company built on proprietary microwave technology, MWCC integrates R&D, business development and engineering to turn technology into operating industrial equipment and sustainable businesses.
https://mwcc.jp/en/