Aluminium group

Aluminium

An excavator digs bauxite, abundant in the earth’s surface at Rio Tinto Aluminium’s mine at Weipa in Queensland, Australia.

Rio Tinto Aluminium is a wholly owned, integrated aluminium subsidiary with operations in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The Comalco name was replaced by Rio Tinto Aluminium in November 2006 to take advantage of Rio Tinto’s global name and reputation.

At 31 December 2006, the Aluminium group accounted for 17 per cent of Rio Tinto’s operating assets and in 2006 contributed 14 per cent of Group sales revenue. Its 2006 earnings, at US$746 million, were up 90 per cent on 2005, and represented ten per cent of the Group’s underlying earnings. Stronger aluminium prices increased earnings by US$451 million, with the average three months’ aluminium price in 2006 at 116 US cents per pound compared with 86 US cents per pound in 2005.

Rio Tinto Aluminium has a large, wholly owned bauxite mine on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, in Australia and refines alumina at Yarwun and at Queensland Alumina (Rio Tinto: 38.6 per cent) in Gladstone, Queensland. Primary aluminium is produced by smelters at Boyne Island near Gladstone (Rio Tinto: 59.4 per cent), Bell Bay in Tasmania, Tiwai Point (Rio Tinto: 79.4 per cent) in New Zealand and Anglesey Aluminium (Rio Tinto: 51 per cent) in Wales. Rio Tinto Aluminium also has a 42.1 per cent interest in the Gladstone Power Station.

Rio Tinto Aluminium is a major supplier of bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium to world markets. It employs some 4,300 people.