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The Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) operations are integrated across a mine and processing plant in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador; a port and stockpile in Sept-Iles, Quebec; and a 418 kilometre railway that joins these two parts of the operation.
IOC is a joint venture between Rio Tinto (58.7%), Mitsubishi (26.2%) and the Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Income Corporation (15.1%).
Steel-making currently contributes 8% of global carbon emissions. So at IOC, we’re working to reduce our operational footprint while producing iron ore that helps to reduce emissions as a feedstock for steel production.
At IOC, we produce high-grade, low-impurity iron ore – an essential raw material for new iron-making technologies, including the evolving green steel market.
The way we produce our iron ore also helps decarbonise our operations. IOC operates near hydroelectric power, meaning much of our energy use is renewable. We’re also electrifying our steam generation plant and exploring ways to repower our trucks and trains with more renewable fuel sources.
Research and development are a key part of our race to decarbonise too. We’re trialling a plasma burner in one of our furnaces – the first of its kind, which could help us eliminate heavy fuel oil (bunker-C) from the pelletizing process. Through lab-based trials, we are also researching ways to use cold-bonding technologies, and substituting coke breeze with organic carbon sources and other non-carbon-based fuels. And we’re collaborating with industry partners such as Salzgitter to use green hydrogen to work towards zero-carbon iron production.
Our team continually innovates to improve safety and production, using tools such as data analytics, decision-making support, and automation to drive growth and productivity.
The fully integrated operation at IOC is supported by two operations centres in Labrador City and Sept-Iles that allows us to ensure our mine, processing operations, port and rail system work together efficiently to achieve maximum productivity.
The rail network is the link between the two parts of our operation and all of our rail traffic is managed in real time using state-of-the-art technology and the latest computing, railway communications and signalling protocol technologies.
The mining industry is continuing to grow and evolve, so effective utilisation of our assets is critical for us to remain competitive, reach our full potential and lay a solid foundation for our future.
We have recently added a concentrator, pellet plant and blast hole driller to the automated assets controlled from our Operations Centre in Labrador City. In 2023, we will also add automated dozers and excavators.
Innovation is essential to remain competitive in a changing market. So we’ve established an evolving R&D portfolio at IOC that’s already achieved many advances.
We’ve used R&D to improve our iron ore recovery and production by upwards of 10%.
We’ve also formed close relationships with best-in-class universities, government labs, and startups to assess new technologies that can increase production while reducing operating costs. Our most recent partnerships include research and trials conducted with COREM, College of North Atlantic (CNA), and Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) to challenge current processes and make more informed and timely decisions.
SEPT-ÎLES, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) has announced a major donation of CAN$4 million over two years to the Cégep de Sept-Îles in Quebec, Canada for the construction of its new pavilion for training, research and innovation in the railway, industrial maintenance and energy intelligence industries. The initiative is part of a long-standing collabora
SEPT-ÎLES, Canada – La Compagnie minière IOC a annoncé un don majeur de 4 millions de dollars canadiens sur deux ans au Cégep de Sept-Îles pour la construction de son nouveau pavillon consacré à la formation, à la recherche et à l’innovation dans les secteurs ferroviaire, de la maintenance industrielle et de l’intelligence énergétique.
LONDRES - Rio Tinto et H2 Green Steel, une entreprise industrielle en démarrage qui est en voie de produire de l’acier vert à grande échelle, ont signé une entente pluriannuelle d’approvisionnement en boulettes de minerai de fer de haute qualité à réduction directe provenant des activités de la Compagnie minière IOC. Rio Tinto achètera et revendra également une partie de l’excédent de fer briqueté
Together with the Innu communities of Uashat mak Mani-utenam and Matimekush-Lac John in Quebec, Canada, we signed a new partnership agreement called “Ussiniun” in December 2020.
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In the Innu language, the word “ussiniun” means “renewal.” Through this partnership, we will build a stronger future together – supporting local education, jobs, the environment, and work to preserve the unique customs and cultural practices of both communities.
IOC has a long tradition of community support and believes in building relationships with local communities and partners
1 Retty Street Sept-Îles Quebec G4R 3C7 Canada
T: +1 418 968 7400
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With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through 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 Rio Tinto Data 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).
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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 this Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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