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’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We’re 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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Our Gove site in Australia’s Northern Territory has been supplying the global aluminium industry with world-class bauxite for more than 40 years.
Gove bauxite is shipped internationally as well as domestically to supply Queensland Alumina Limited and Yarwun refineries in Gladstone, Queensland. These refineries produce alumina as feedstock for our Australian aluminium smelting operations and for sale on the international market.
We expect our bauxite mining operations in the Gove Peninsula will cease later this decade and we are doing significant work to support closure of the operation.
Key progress achieved in 2024 includes passing the halfway mark for the removal of structures on our refinery site, which is Australia’s largest demolition project, majority completion of a 4-year project to rehabilitate one of our former tailings dams to a stable environment and the construction of 2 new solar farms to provide sustainable options for the peninsula’s future energy needs.
The Gove Alumina refinery’s history is unique and personal to many employees and local community members. The first day of production took place in 1972, and at the time all eyes were on the small town of Nhulunbuy. But the history of the land where the operation is established has stories, memories and song lines that go back multiple generations.
Closure is a significant investment, which we must get right to ensure economic development and opportunities to the local community. We are committed to continuing to work in deep partnership with the Traditional Owners. We share in and support their vision to see the local region rejuvenated so that it becomes a place to share the rich culture, and a business and services hub for all of Arnhem Land.
- Kellie Parker, ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿ÚAustralia Chief Executive
The refinery demolition lead by Liberty Industrial is one of the largest demolition projects in Australia, taking approximately 10 years to complete with ongoing environmental monitoring.
NHULUNBUY, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Two new 5.25MW solar farms will be built on Gumatj and Rirratjingu country on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory, as ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úworks to secure a more sustainable power supply for the region beyond mining. The solar farms will be built on ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úleases, following agreement with the Gumatj and Rirratjingu Traditional Owner Groups on the loca
NHULUNBUY, Australia – ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úis undertaking the largest demolition project in Australia’s history at its Gove alumina refinery site in Australia’s Northern Territory, where it has now begun shipping the equivalent of three Sydney Harbour bridges, or 21 Eiffel Towers, in scrap steel for recycling.The demolition is part of the broader closure program at Rio Tinto’s Gove Operations in East Arnhem Land, where bauxite mi
ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úcontinues to take a stand against family and domestic violence in its communities with support of a national anti-violence conference in Yirrkala, Northeast Arnhem Land this week.
We consult with Traditional Owners and other stakeholders about opportunities beyond the life of our operations in the region.
As part of our engagement with Traditional Owners in preparation for closure, we use technology to illustrate future rehabilitation processes and give insight into how the land may look in the future. This gives Traditional Owners the opportunity to see their future aspirations and share their feedback with us.
In 2024, the Gove mine was Provisionally Certified under Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard V3, and is transitioning to compliance over the next year. Gove is ASI Chain of Custody Certified. This means we support responsible mining practices.
Our Gove site has been supporting local communities on the Gove Peninsula for more than 40 years. As one of the largest employers in the region, our local sponsorships and donations program provides financial and in-kind investments that enrich the region and maintain the community’s unique vibrancy.
Some of these projects include our decade-long sponsorship of the Yothu Yindu Foundation’s Garma Festival, and, for more than 30 years, our ongoing support of the Nhulunbuy Community Beach Volleyball Competition.
Our Gove site has a funding program currently available for not for profit groups.
Our sponsorship and donations program offers support to community and not for profit groups through the provision of financial and in-kind contributions for activities that enhance the livability and community vibrancy across the Gove Peninsula. This program runs year-round.
The Indigenous people of North East Arnhem land, the Yolngu, have lived in the region for more than 65,000 years and practise one of the longest living traditional cultures in the world.
Our Gove site – including the township of Nhulunbuy – is located on Aboriginal land. We acknowledge the significant value Yolngu place on their heritage and Country, and work in partnership with them throughout the mining process to manage this. We manage cultural heritage and sacred sites as legislated by the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA).
Our lease areas contain a wide range of cultural heritage features and values. They can be tangible, such as landscapes and artefacts, and intangible, such as language, music and customary practice. All heritage features and values are considered as being of equal value. If a site or an object is identified as significant, it is protected from mining.
For example, in 2022, 111 hectares of land were surveyed across the Gove mining lease with the Gumatj and Rirratjingu Traditional Owners to protect and preserve sites and story places.
In 2011 we signed the Gove Traditional Owners Agreement with the Gumatj, Rirratjingu and Galpu Traditional Owners. We are the first operator in the region to sign an agreement with Traditional Owners.
The historic agreement provides mutual benefits including economic development, employment and training, land and environmental management, financial benefits, protection of cultural and significant sites and contracting business opportunities.
Supporting Yolngu business development forms an integral part of the Gove Traditional Owners Agreement. As the planned closure of the Gove Alumina Refinery and Residue Disposal Area progresses, our focus is to provide opportunities directly and indirectly to local and Indigenous businesses in the East Arnhem region. We do this through local procurement, partnerships and training.
Our operations are located on Indigenous-owned land and, in 2018, we became a customer of the Gulkula mine – Australia’s first 100% Indigenous run and owned bauxite mine, wholly owned by the Gumatj clan. We buy bauxite from Gulkula and export it nationally and internationally through our port. In May 2018, senior Traditional Owners of the Gumatj clan witnessed the first shipment of their bauxite to China from Rio Tinto’s export wharf at Gove.
In addition, adjacent to the mine, the Gumatj Corporation has established the Gulkula Regional Training Centre with funding support from Rio Tinto, and the Australian and Northern Territory governments, which allows local Indigenous people to receive on-the-job training to build careers in mining and other related industries.
We spend approximately A$94 million each year on a wide a range of goods and services provided by local Indigenous businesses including earthworks and construction, fencing, maintenance, waste management, heritage services and environmental and land rehabilitation services.
We also collaborate with the local communities and an example of this is our work with a Yolngu business to undertake mine rehabilitation. Local Yolngu collect native seed on the mining lease prior to mining, which is then used for the seeding of rehabilitated areas after mining. Each year, the Yolngu collect more than 400 kilograms of native seeds and more than 15,000 native plants are grown in our regeneration nursery. They are then used to rehabilitate around 120 hectares of land.
We also strive to increase local Indigenous employment for local Yolngu people and provide training opportunities to create employment opportunities beyond mining.
We were acutely aware of the challenges that lay ahead for the region following the curtailment of the Gove Alumina Refinery in 2013. In 2014, we partnered with the Northern Territory Government to fund the establishment of the independent not-for-profit company (DEAL), created to drive economic diversification and stimulate new opportunities in the region. ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úand the Government provided A$2 million each in seed funding.
Access to housing was identified as a key constraint to growth in the town; businesses could not expand because there was not enough affordable rental housing to accommodate new employees. To address this, ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úprovided DEAL with 250 residential properties previously used for refinery workers.
To help create broader employment opportunities, DEAL established an Economic Development Fund to finance business growth projects to deliver sustainable job outcomes for the region.
DEAL’s focus is to link private enterprise, industry, community and government agencies to support economic diversification and growth in the East Arnhem region for the benefit of the regional population. This is achieved through projects across the tourism, health, retail, marine services, education and training, construction and hospitality industries.
1 Melville Bay Road Nhulunbuy NT 0880 Australia
E: govecommunities@riotinto.com
T: 1800 996 508
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With the exception of the use of cookies, ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úgenerally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úthrough this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
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As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of our Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úgenerally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿Úthrough this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
Part 1 of this Privacy Policy contains the ÌÇÐÄvlogÈë¿ÚData Privacy Standard, which provides an overview of Rio Tinto’s approach to personal data processing. There is additional information in the appendices to the Data Privacy Standard, including information about disclosures, trans-border data transfers, the exercise of data subject rights and how to make complaints or obtain further information relating to Rio Tinto’s processing of your personal data.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us at digital.comms@riotinto.com).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of this Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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