Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
We produce materials essential for human progress
We are the largest mining and metals company operating in Canada today
We work hard to leave a lasting, positive legacy everywhere we work
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Expected decarbonisation investment by 2030
Annual R&D investment
Dedicated R&D experts
For over 150 years, we’ve been finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.
We were at the forefront of automation – trucks, trains and drills – and remote operations in our industry. We’ve found better, lower carbon ways of producing materials like aluminium and scandium. And we’ve introduced the world’s first sustainability label for aluminium using blockchain technology.
The need for innovation is greater than ever. The energy transition and continued urbanisation will require more of the materials that make these things possible, such as copper, aluminium, iron ore, lithium and minerals. If the materials that make renewable energy possible cause more harm in production than their products offset, nobody benefits.
Much of the technology we need to get to net zero by 2050 doesn’t exist today, so we need to contribute, support and partner to make it a reality. We’re building meaningful partnerships and connections to help us tackle challenges and drive change.
Breakthrough technologies also create opportunities for our business. For example, technology advances are helping our geologists to find new deposits, unlock previously economically unviable resources, and extending the life of existing assets. We’re also creating new products from waste. We became the first producer of scandium oxide in North America, using an innovative process we developed to extract high purity scandium oxide from waste streams without the need for any additional mining.
We’ve committed $150 million to create a Centre for Future Materials led by Imperial College London to find innovative ways to provide the materials the world needs for the energy transition. The ‘Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials’ will fund research programs to transform the way vital materials are produced, used and recycled and make them more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. The Centre will be established in the second half of 2023, with the first research programs funded in 2024. We’ll contribute $150 million over 10 years to fund the Centre.
We’re using new technologies, data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence across our business.
In 2021, we launched the Safe Production System (SPS) to improve how we operate our assets, manage performance and help our people innovate. Through SPS, we are drawing on data more efficiently to understand asset health, maintenance scheduling and bottleneck solutions. We have started to see improved production efficiency, safety and engagement at the sites where we have deployed SPS. There are already hundreds of examples of how we are doing this. It applies to big, meaningful innovation and smaller everyday progress.
Our name, Rio Tinto, stems from an ancient copper mine next to the “Rio Tinto” river in Andalucia, Spain. Having operated for over 5,000 years, first by the Phoenicians and later by the Romans, the mine was considered a depleted resource. Then in 1873, a few English investors established the Rio Tinto company and bought the mine, which was seen as a very risky investment. But using innovation and technology, they rebuilt the mine and the infrastructure surrounding it. Within 10 years, it was the world’s largest producer of copper.
How we process personal data provided or obtained through this website.
With the exception of the use of cookies, 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.
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).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
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 our Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
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.
These Cookies are used to provide a better user experience on the site, such as by measuring interactions with particular content or remembering your settings such as language or video playback preferences.
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