Note 38 - Principal jointly controlled entities

2007 Financial statements

Note 38 - Principal jointly controlled entities

**At 31 December 2007**
Name and country of incorporation/operation	Principal activities	Number of shares held by the Group	Class of shares held	Proportion of class held %		Group interest %
Australia
Boyne Smelters Limited	Aluminium smelting	153,679,560	Ordinary	59.4		59.4
Leichhardt Coal Pty. Limited (b)	Coal mining	20,115,000	Ordinary	44.7		44.7
Queensland Alumina Limited	Alumina production	1,769,600	Ordinary	80.0		80.0
Chile
Minera Escondida Limitada (c)	Copper mining and refining			30		30
China
Alcan Ningxia Aluminium Company Limited	Aluminium smelting, alloy production, aluminium product manufacture	459,500,000	RBMY	50		50
New Zealand
New Zealand Aluminum Smelters Limited	Aluminium smelting	24,998,400	Ordinary	79.36		79.36
Norway
Sor-Norge Aluminium A.S.	Aluminium smelting	500,000	Ordinary	50		50
Oman
Sohar Aluminium Company L.L.C	Aluminium smelting/ power generation	37,500	OMR1	20		20
United Kingdom
Anglesey Aluminium Metal Limited	Aluminium smelting		Ordinary £1	51		51
Hydrogen Energy	Alternative energy	125,000	Ordinary £1	50		50
United States of America
Decker	Coal mining		(d)			50
Halco (Mining) Inc.	(e)	4,500	Common	45		45
Pechiney Reynolds Quebec Inc.	(f)	1001	Ordinary Preferred	50 100	}
Pechiney Reynolds Quebec Inc.	(f)	1001	Ordinary Preferred	50 100	}	50.3


Notes	Expand
The Group has joint control of the above operations which, except as disclosed in note (d) below, are independent legal entities. It therefore includes them in its accounts using the equity accounting technique. Leichhardt has a 31.4 per cent interest in the Blair Athol joint venture. As a result, the Group has a further beneficial interest of 14 per cent in addition to its direct interest of 57.2 per cent, which is owned via a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Limited. The Blair Athol joint venture is disclosed as a jointly controlled asset in note 40. The year end of Minera Escondida is 30 June. However, the amounts included in the consolidated financial statements of Rio Tinto are based on accounts of Minera Escondida that are coterminous with those of the Group. This operation is unincorporated. The joint venture agreement creates an arrangement that is similar in form to a partnership, and it is therefore classified as a jointly controlled entity. Halco has a 51 per cent interest in Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée, a Bauxite mine, the core assets of which are located in Guinea. Pechiney Reynolds Quebec has a 50.1 per cent interest in Aluminerie de Becancour aluminium smelter, which is located in Canada. The Group comprises a large number of operations and it is not practical to include all of them in this list. The list therefore only includes those entities that have a more significant impact on the profit or operating assets of the Group. The Group's principal jointly controlled entities are held by intermediate holding companies and not directly by Rio Tinto plc or Rio Tinto Limited. With the exception of (e) and (f) above, all jointly controlled entities operate mainly in the countries in which they are incorporated.