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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 2 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.
We also offer START labels for IOC’s iron ore pellets and concentrate, providing greater sustainability assurance and visibility into the production process to our customers.
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 2 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 2 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.
A concentrator, pellet plant and blast hole driller are automated assets controlled from our Operations Centre in Labrador City.
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.
Our dispatchers have a full view and control of all rail traffic helping to support the safe, reliable and smooth running of our trains and in turn of our integrated operation.
LABRADOR CITY, Canada – Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) is investing $800,000 over two years to support the expansion of the Lil Snowflakes daycare in Wabush. The expansion will increase the daycare’s capacity to an estimated 116 spaces, including 86 full-time spots, with 50 spaces designated for IOC employees. These designated spaces will help support local workforce retention while
LABRADOR CITY, Canada – La Companie minière IOC de Rio Tinto investit 800 000 $ sur deux ans pour soutenir l’agrandissement du service de garde Lil Snowflakes à Wabush. L’agrandissement augmentera la capacité du service de garde à environ 116 places, y compris 86 places à temps plein et 50 places réservées aux enfants des employé(e)s d’IOC. Les places réservées aideront à retenir la main-d’oeuvre
Montreal, Canada - Customers purchasing iron ore pellets and concentrate from Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) can now access detailed information on how their products are sourced and produced through START™, Rio Tinto’s flagship traceability program. The initiative offers independently verified data on specific environmental and social indicators, supporting customers in improving transparency and reporting on their sourcing practices.
IOC works with our Indigenous partners to improve cultural understanding and increase inclusion and diversity. This has included initiatives such as our partnership in developing an online indigenous cultural awareness training package for all IOC employees.
We engage, consult with and participate in events with the following Indigenous Peoples and communities on an ongoing basis in Labrador and Quebec:
These partnerships are supported and guided by impact and benefits agreements which provide a framework for increasing Indigenous participation in employment and procurement opportunities and for promoting educational, environmental, and cultural heritage activities. In 2014, IOC signed agreements with the Labrador Innu and NunatuKavut Community Council. Following this, agreements were signed with Innu of Matimekush-Lac John and Innu of Uashat mak Mani-Utenam in 2020, and the Naskapi Nation in 2023.
1 Retty Street Sept-Îles Quebec G4R 3C7 Canada
T: +1 418 968 7400