Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
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We operate in 35 countries where our 60,000+ employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
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Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Enabling ESG transparency
Our START™ initiative tracks traceability and responsible production of Rio Tinto materials.
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Reports 2024
Download our 2024 suite of reports, including our 2024 Taxes and Royalties Paid Report, detailing $8.4 billion of taxes and royalties paid globally during the year
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Things You Can't Live Without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
Refuelling the mining industry
How can we power the world’s biggest machines with new fuel solutions?
Forging a low-carbon future
How we're working to decarbonise iron ore and steel
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Our Kennecott mine is a world-class, integrated copper mining operation located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, in the US. Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich ore body of the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903 and today is one of the top-producing mines in the world. Our operation encompasses surface and underground mines, a concentrator, smelter, and refinery, as well as rail infrastructure and a tailings storage facility.
We’re committed to advancing low-carbon copper production.
At Kennecott, we’ve taken significant steps to reduce our carbon footprint. These are important milestones in achieving our goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.
We’ve paired 1.5 million MWh of electricity with Green-e energy-certified carbon-free renewable energy certificates, primarily from wind and solar resources.
We’ve deployed underground battery electric vehicles at Kennecott to improve employee health and safety, increase productivity, and reduce carbon emissions from future underground mining fleets.
Kennecott’s fleet of 97 haul trucks and all heavy machinery completed the transition to renewable diesel in 2024, along with consumption from the concentrator, smelter and refinery. This transition reduced Kennecott’s Scope 1 carbon emissions by approximately 450,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per annum, comparable to eliminating the annual emissions of more than 107,000 passenger cars.
The renewable diesel is made from renewable biogenic materials sourced in the US. It’s supplied through the existing diesel supply chain, as part of a continuing partnership between Kennecott and HF Sinclair.
The decision to convert to renewable diesel came after a successful trial in October 2022, which compared acceleration, speed, cycle times, fuel usage, and engine inspection reports for 2 trucks running on renewable diesel versus 2 trucks running on conventional diesel.
In collaboration with Cummins, the trial tested renewable diesel in different operational environments and on different equipment, which ultimately supported the decision by original equipment manufacturers to approve the use of renewable diesel in their equipment.
In 2023, we also completed the construction of a new 5-megawatt solar power plant. The 12,800 solar panel power plant reduces operational emissions by 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.
We’re also building a new 25-megawatt, 71,000-panel solar plant at Kennecott, bringing the mine’s total solar capacity to 30 megawatts. Those panels will contain tellurium produced at Kennecott, a byproduct of copper mining and refining.
When completed, the new solar plant will be next to Kennecott’s existing 5MW solar plant. Together, the 2 solar plants are expected to reduce Kennecott’s Scope 2 emissions by approximately 6%, or 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year – equivalent to removing around 5,000 gas-powered passenger cars from the road.
Our Kennecott mine has operated for 122 years, providing domestically sourced copper to the US and beyond. As we look towards the energy transition, Kennecott will continue to play an important role by responsibly mining and smelting this mineral, which is critical for our electric vehicles, our renewable energy, and numerous other vital applications.
At Kennecott, we continue to look for new ways to improve energy efficiency and increase our on-site-generated power supply. The $10 million, 6.2 MW combined heat and power (CHP) system – large enough to power 6,000 average-sized homes – is one example of how we are doing this, generating enough power to supply up to 50% of the electrical needs of the refinery.
CHP, also known as cogeneration, is an efficient, clean, and reliable way to generate power from a single fuel source.
Our voluntary commitments and accreditations include a number of global, regional, and national organisations and initiatives, and industry accreditation programs.
Kennecott currently has several environment, social and governance (ESG) partnerships, which include:
In 2020, the Kennecott operation became the first in the world to be awarded the Copper Mark, the industry’s first and only independent assurance program – verifying that the copper is responsibly produced. Originally developed by the International Copper Association with input from stakeholders including customers, NGOs, and producers, the Copper Mark assures that our copper meets the highest environmental and social standards, including a transparent and responsible supply chain.
Our Kennecott operation has also been awarded the Molybdenum Mark, an independent certification that the molybdenum from our site is responsibly produced with high environmental, social, and governance standards. As a by-product of copper mines, molybdenum has a critical role to play in the green transition as a vital material in clean energy technologies and sustainable construction practices in many areas. This certification demonstrates our continued commitment and leadership towards environmental sustainability – to be a responsible producer that is committed to finding better to provide the materials the world needs.
We are also progressing innovative ways to reduce waste from our operations while supplying critical minerals that are crucial to energy transition. In May 2022, Kennecott began production of tellurium, a critical mineral used in solar panels, which is helping to develop a new US supply stream for the renewable energy industry.
The Rio Tinto Kennecott Visitor Experience opens every April through October (closed during winter).
The Visitor Experience is dedicated to educating the public about the key role Kennecott plays in modern life, safe mining practices, and responsible environmental stewardship. Learn about our history and see first-hand the gigantic scale of our operation, vehicles, and artifacts. Discover how ore gets processed and refined to become 99.99% copper, an essential element in today’s infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology. Everyone who visits our Kennecott Visitor Experience is positively impacting our community, as all proceeds from ticket sales are donated to the Kennecott Charitable Foundation.
Since its inception in 1992, the Kennecott Charitable Foundation has been dedicated to making a positive impact on Utah residents and the community and has donated over $3.3 million to more than 200 local nonprofit organisations that assist vulnerable populations in the Salt Lake region.
You can also learn more about the Bingham Canyon Mine by taking a virtual tour of our operation.
We’ve completed the first phase of the South Wall Pushback at Kennecott, extending the mine’s life to 2026 and gradually accessing higher copper grades.
Stripping for the $1.5 billion second phase, extending operations to 2032, remains on track. The investment will further extend strip waste rock mining and support additional infrastructure development, to allow mining to continue into a new area of the orebody.
We’re also progressing feasibility studies to extend open pit mining beyond 2032. If approved, the planned mine expansion – referred to as Apex – could produce around 1.5 million additional tonnes of copper and extend the mine’s life to approximately 2040.
In September 2022, we approved a $55 million investment in development capital to start underground mining and expand production at Kennecott. Underground mining will initially focus on an area known as the Lower Commercial Skarn, which will deliver a total of around 30,000 tonnes of additional high quality mined copper alongside open cut operations1. The first ore was produced in early 2024, with full production in the second half of 2025. It will be processed through the existing facilities at Kennecott, one of only 2 operating copper smelters in the US.
In 2023, we also approved $498 million for the North Rim Skarn, which is expected to start production in early 2026, with a 2-year ramp up. This area of the underground is expected to deliver around 250,000 tonnes of mined copper over 10 years2.
Kennecott is committed to environmental stewardship. Employees work diligently to prevent, reduce and remediate effects of the operation on the environment. Kennecott sets self-imposed environmental performance targets to drive continuous improvement. We strive to be a leader in environmental performance by demonstrating responsible management of natural resources, reducing our environmental footprint, and exceeding community expectations for sustainable development.
Evaluating new approaches for safer, more efficient water use is vital for our community and the environment.
In 2021, we partnered with several environmental and water conservation organisations to donate up to 18,000-acre feet of water rights every year for the next 10 years to return more water to the Great Salt Lake.
We are committed to leaving a lasting legacy with our neighbours that have shared our history for over 120 years. During the past 25 years, we have restored more than 10,000 acres of land previously impacted by historic mining operations, focusing on reclamation and remediation efforts. We restore lands previously used for mining operations to be suitable for animal habitat, residential, commercial and agricultural use.
In September 2023, we announced plans to reclaim an additional 740 acres of land at the Bingham Canyon Mine, as part of our commitment to the environment and the local community. The East Waste Rock Reclamation project, when completed, will help maintain critical erosion control, which will positively impact stormwater management in the area.
We have transformed acreage once dominated by over-grazed lands, salt evaporation ponds and illegal dumps into a 3,670-acre shorebird and waterfowl reserve along the south shore of Great Salt Lake. In 1996, we partnered with 2 internationally recognised nonprofit organisations to ensure our Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve (ISSR) is under a mitigation plan, and today, the reserve is one of the largest and most successful mitigation efforts in the US. The number of bird species using the reserve area has gone from 50 in 1995 to 200 – a 300% increase – and today, approximately 120,000 birds use the reserve every year.
We’re committed to investing in the communities we operate in to make a real, lasting difference.
Our approach focuses on building strong partnerships and supporting initiatives that matter – now and for the future.
We centre our efforts at Kennecott around 3 key areas:
These priorities guide how we support local programs and respond to the needs of the people and places around us.
So far, we've helped inspire over 105,000 students through STEM outreach with partners like the Natural History Museum of Utah, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, and Columbus Adult Education Center.
We’ve also partnered with the Utah Navajo Health Clinic to launch a mobile health unit that’s brought vital care like cancer screenings, vaccinations, and health education to hundreds of patients in remote areas, around 80% of whom are Native American.
We’re committed to making a continuing impact and sincerely appreciate the partners who work with us to create positive change in the communities we serve.
1 The North Rim Skarns (NRS) Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves, together with the Lower Commercial Skarn (LCS) Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves, form the Underground Skarns Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. The 30kt mined copper production target for the LCS through to 2027 was previously reported in a release to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) dated 20 June 2023 "Rio Tinto invests to strengthen copper supply in US”. All material assumptions underpinning this production target continue to apply and have not materially changed.
2 The 250 thousand tonne copper production target for the Kennecott underground mines over the years 2023 to 2033 was previously reported in a release to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) dated 20 June 2023 "Rio Tinto invests to strengthen copper supply in US”. All material assumptions underpinning that production target continue to apply and have not materially changed.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto has approved construction of a new 25-megawatt solar plant at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah, bringing the mine’s total solar capacity to 30MW. The new solar plant will be located next to Kennecott’s existing 5MW solar plant, which was completed in 2023. Together, the two solar plants will reduce Kennecott’s Scope 2 emissions by appro
SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto will replace its entire fossil diesel consumption with renewable diesel at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah from 2024. Kennecott’s fleet of 90 haul trucks and all heavy machinery will begin to transition to renewable diesel in the first quarter of 2024, along with consumption from the concentrator, smelter, and refinery. The transition will
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – As part of its 120th-anniversary celebration, Rio Tinto Kennecott announced a donation of $10 million for the Museum of Utah, which is currently being built on the grounds of the Utah State Capitol complex. The Museum is slated to open in 2026 under the umbrella of the Utah Historical Society. The donation, which will be distributed over the next 10 years, represents Ke
Independent industry stewardship programs help assure our customers of our responsible value chain. Our Kennecott and Oyu Tolgoi copper operations have been awarded the Copper Mark, the copper industry’s independently assessed responsible production program. Kennecott has also been awarded the Molybdenum Mark, an application of the same rigorous framework to molybdenum producers - molybdenum is a copper mining byproduct and a vital material in clean energy technologies and sustainable construction practices. These 2 certifications demonstrate our continued commitment to responsible production as we find better ways to provide the materials the world needs.
4700 Daybreak Parkway South Jordan Utah 84009 US
T: + 801 204 2000
For enquiries or complaints, please contact us.
T: + 801 204 2070 E: rtkcomments@riotinto.com
Open 7 days a week From April to October (weather permitting) 12732 Bacchus Hwy Herriman Utah 84096 US
E: info@rtkvisitorexperience.com
W: Buy tickets
T: + 801 569 6331