Rio Tinto

The group's core products are iron ore, copper, aluminium and lithium. Iron ore from the Pilbara in Western Australia supplies steel mills primarily in Asia. Copper from operations in Utah and Mongolia enters global electrical and construction supply chains. Aluminium from its Canadian smelters serves automotive and packaging customers, and lithium from Argentina targets battery manufacturers.

Rio Tinto has set a target to cut its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and reach net zero operations by 2050. A primary lever is the AP60 smelter technology in Quebec, which uses renewable hydropower and a proprietary anode design to produce aluminium with roughly half the industry-average carbon intensity. The firm is also electrifying processing equipment at its Pilbara iron ore operations.

The near-term growth focus is the AP60 smelter expansion in Quebec, a $1.5 billion project that began commissioning in March 2025 and will add 96 new pots by end-2026. Longer-term projects include the Oyu Tolgoi underground copper mine in Mongolia, the Rincon lithium project in Argentina, and the Simandou iron ore deposit in Guinea (per the firm, 2025).

Rio Tinto entered the lithium market through acquisitions of the Rincon project in Argentina and the Jadar project in Serbia. Lithium is one of the four core materials the group now prioritizes, alongside iron ore, copper and aluminium, positioning it as a direct supplier into the battery supply chain.

The firm's operations are vertically integrated in aluminium, where it runs both bauxite mines and downstream smelters. It also holds the Richards Bay Minerals operation in South Africa, a processor of titanium dioxide and zircon. Through the Rio Tinto IOC Research and Innovation Pavilion in Quebec, the group funds applied mining research in partnership with a regional college.