03 June 2010
Rio Tinto's Dampier Salt finalises long-term agreement with Peacock Salt to supply gritting salts to UK local authorities
Dampier Salt Ltd, a Rio Tinto subsidiary, has signed a five year contract with Peacock Salt to supply road gritting salt to local authorities to help combat the effects of further harsh winter weather conditions. The contract is for approximately 500,000 tonnes per year and is designed to give both companies flexibility in responding to variations in weather and market conditions.
Rio Tinto and Peacock Salt believe by helping local authorities secure a reliable, sustainable and flexible supply of gritting salt, the UK will be better prepared for unpredictable winter weather conditions and will not have to rely on emergency supplies from other European regions.
Denise Goldsworthy, managing director of Dampier Salt, said, "The supply of salt under this contract will enable Rio Tinto to assist with preparing the UK to deal with increasingly uncertain winter conditions, and help to avoid the shortages experienced in the severe winter conditions this year."
Peacock Salt managing director Angus Craig said, "Our business has experienced significant growth throughout the past few years. Key to this growth has been the development of a strong international supply network, which has given us the ability to meet the growing demand for salt products across the UK marketplace."
About Dampier Salt Ltd
Dampier Salt Ltd (DSL) produces in excess of 10 million tonnes per year of solar salt at three sites in Western Australia. The sites are located to take advantage of the area's hot and dry climate, and have access to deep water ports to enable bulk shipping around the globe. DSL has grown as a business on the back of a reputation for reliability, quality, sustainability and value for money. As part of the Rio Tinto group, DSL benefits from being part of a global mining and exploration business, which specializes in finding metals and minerals across the globe with a diverse product range that includes coal, aluminum, copper and iron ore.
About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.
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