Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our business
We operate in 35 countries where our 57,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our purpose in action
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world鈥檚 largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We鈥檙e targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Decarbonisation progress update
We have a clear plan on decarbonisation - find out more about our progress in 2024
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Investor seminars
Our Investor seminar will be held in London on 4 December, and our Decarbonisation update on 5 December
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Things you can't live without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
The 'f' word of innovation
How unlocking innovation requires a change of mindset
Reducing titanium oxide's carbon footprint
Our BlueSmelting technology could drastically reduce carbon emissions during ore processing
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Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
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A team of our Canadian scientists has been researching a way to drastically reduce carbon emissions while producing titanium dioxide 鈥 a sought-after material for the energy transition.
In 2023, they transformed their big idea into a full-scale, operational demonstration plant 鈥 the largest of its kind in the world 鈥 capable of producing up to 40,000 tonnes of ilmenite ore a year with drastically fewer emissions.
This new technology, known as BlueSmeltingTM, could reduce carbon emissions from ilmenite-processing at our Iron and Titanium (RTIT) Quebec Operations in Sorel-Tracy, Canada, by up to 95% 鈥 the equivalent of removing 145,000 cars from the road.1
We process ilmenite ore to produce titanium dioxide feedstock, which is used to create a fine, white powder that鈥檚 been a primary ingredient in products like sunscreen, toothpaste, paint and cosmetics for over a century.
Titanium dioxide absorbs ultraviolet rays and reflects light, so it鈥檚 increasingly being used in new carbon emission reduction technologies 鈥 like paint used on buildings to reflect heat and reduce energy use.
But the way we produce our materials is just as important as the products they鈥檙e eventually used in. The demonstration plant at RTIT Quebec Operations is implementing BlueSmelting, developed in-house at our Critical Minerals and Technology Centre in Sorel-Tracy, to use less coal during ilmenite-ore processing.
We currently use coal to reduce the ore, but with BlueSmelting, we can either recycle smelter gas 鈥 a mix of carbon dioxide and hydrogen generated by our reduction furnaces 鈥 or use pure hydrogen.
We鈥檙e running a pilot to validate whether BlueSmelting is viable at scale and safe to produce this way.
This process would add a pre-reduction step in the traditional process, which uses less coal and electricity in the reduction step. This technology can either use recycled smelter gas or green hydrogen, and we鈥檙e also exploring sustainable biomass as an alternative to coal.
We know we need to work fast to achieve our ambitious emissions-reduction targets, so we鈥檙e rolling out the project in 2 phases.
鈥淲e took a mature technology that we are using in a different context, and moved it to smelting,鈥 Didier Arseguel, RTIT Vice President Technology and Program Lead for Minerals Processing Decarbonisation, says.
鈥淣ot only does this mean we are recycling smelter gas, but using an existing process also helps to derisk the transition to hydrogen.鈥
Hydrogen can be volatile to work with, so we鈥檙e prioritising safety and collaborating closely with world experts and companies who work regularly with hydrogen to design processes based on their best practices and experience.
The BlueSmelting demonstration plant is the largest of its kind in the world to use this technology.
We have an ongoing partnership with the Government of Canada to invest up to C$737 million (US$537 million) until 2030 to decarbonise our RTIT Quebec Operations. This partnership was instrumental in the plant鈥檚 construction.
But exceptional community engagement and collaboration between local suppliers and the site team made it possible on such short timeframes.
鈥淪ome reactors and parts were delivered to us literally hot off the welding press for installation,鈥 Didier says.
鈥淲e had local contractors working day and night, and we were so pleased to see such collaboration between local entrepreneurs who put competition aside and combined their workforces so we could meet our construction requirements.
鈥淓veryone was proud to say that they were going to be part of such an important Sorel-Tracy project, and we couldn鈥檛 have delivered it on time without their hard work and enthusiasm.鈥
1 The BlueSmeltingTM plant is part of Rio Tinto's decarbonisation strategy, which aims to reduce the company’s emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. If fully implemented, the BlueSmelting project has the potential to deliver a reduction of up to 95% in RTIT Quebec Operations’ overall greenhouse gas emissions, a decrease of approximately 670,000 tCO2e based on 2021 emissions or the equivalent to removing 145,000 cars from the road.
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