Boron

Boron, California

We mine borates, a naturally occurring mineral, from our mine in Boron, California, which we then refine and transform into products essential to modern living. Boron is vital to plant growth, so it is used in fertilisers, but it is also used in other industries such as glass manufacturing, wood protection and insulation fibreglass – to name a few.

Mining at Boron began in 1927 and today, the mine – home to one of the richest deposits of borates in the world – produces one million tonnes of refined borates every year, or approximately 30% of global demand.

Learn more about our borates operation >

Minimising our environmental impact

At Boron, we continually aim to improve our productivity, the safety of our team and to minimise our environmental impact.

For example, we are partnering with renewable energy technology company Heliogen to explore the use of heat from the sun to generate and store carbon-free energy  to power the mine’s industrial processes. From 2022, Heliogen’s system will supplement existing energy sources and reduce carbon emissions at Boron by up to 7% – equivalent to taking more than 5,000 cars off the road. It will also store the captured energy in the form of heat, allowing it to power night operations and providing the same uninterrupted energy stream offered by legacy fuels.

This builds on work, already done, to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 5% per tonne of product through site design improvements and enhanced maintenance. We have also lowered our water use by millions of gallons through recycling – a critical goal given our location in Southern California.

Boron communities

Cultural heritage

Our mine is operated by our borax business, U.S. Borax, which is one of America’s oldest and most iconic businesses. Originally established in Death Valley, California, the mine’s “Twenty Mule Team” would transport the borates through the harsh desert environment, ready for distribution to customers.

To this day, U.S. Borax celebrates its unique history by bringing the mule team back to life for special events and celebrations, both in Nevada and California.

In the early 20th century, the small town of Ryan was established to accommodate the hundreds of miners employed at the Death Valley site; from 1914-1927, it was also the centre of borates mining, complete with a hospital, post office, school and a building that served as a church, movie theatre and recreation hall.

In 2013, Rio Tinto turned over the now-ghost town of Ryan to the Death Valley Conservancy (DVC), protecting its valuable cultural heritage for future generations. The DVC is meticulously working to restore the site to its original look.