Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
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The drive for innovation and continuous improvement is at the heart of our purpose
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Climate change is at the heart of our business strategy
We are 150
150 years of finding better ways
Iron Ore
Iron ore is the primary raw material used to make steel
7 things the world will need for a low-carbon future
Wind, sun and water – what else do you need to make renewable energy work?
Sustainability – the expectation, not the exception
Shaping our aluminium product offering to meet demand for greener metals
We work across six continents in around 35 countries
Look inside a mine of the future
Our most intelligent mine yet is pioneering new mining technologies
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
Sustainability Reporting 2022
We have a responsibility to extract the full value from the minerals and materials we produce in the safest and most sustainable way possible
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Water
Sharing our water usage
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Rio Tinto Limited 2023 AGM
Perth: 4 May 2023
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Breaking new ground for copper supply
Taking the world’s fourth-largest copper mine underground
The slow journey from red mud to green plants
Finding new ways to rehabilitate red mud
Road to a greener future
Rio Tinto Partners with BMW Group on Premium Aluminium Car Parts
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Refined copper production
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2022 figures
Kennecott has one of the lowest carbon footprint of any copper producer in the United States — and initiatives such as the 2019 power plant closure and a shift to renewable energy sources have removed more than 1 million tons of CO2 emissions, lowering Kennecott’s annual carbon footprint by as much as 65%. 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. And we’re trialling underground battery electric vehicles at Kennecott to improve employee health and safety, increase productivity, and reduce carbon emissions from future underground mining fleets. We’re using a battery electric haul truck and loader to evaluate performance and suitability as part of underground development work.
In October 2022, Kennecott launched a renewable diesel trial, which will compare acceleration, speed, cycle times, fuel usage, and engine inspection reports for two trucks running on renewable diesel versus two trucks running on conventional diesel.
Trialling both battery-electric vehicles and renewable diesel will ensure we can pick the solutions that are best tailored to our operational needs, based on actual data.
These are important milestones in achieving Rio Tinto’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.
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 and additional partnerships planned for 2023. Key partnerships 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 programme – verifying 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 from 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 to sustainability – to be a responsible producer that is committed to finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs.
We are also progressing innovative ways to reduce waste from our operations and while supplying critical minerals that are crucial to the energy transition. So in May 2022, Kennecott began production of tellurium, a critical mineral used in solar panels that is helping develop a new US supply stream for the renewable energy industry.
Our Kennecott copper mine is extracting a rare, valuable metal from waste
We’ve now completed the first phase of the south wall pushback at Kennecott, extending the mine’s life to 2026. We are 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 ore body and deliver close to one million tonnes of refined copper between 2026 and 2032.
We are also progressing feasibility studies to extend open pit mining at Kennecott beyond 2032. The planned mine expansion, referred to as Apex, will produce an additional 1.5 million tons of copper and extend the life of mine to about 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 (LCS), which will deliver a total of around 30 kilotonnes of additional high quality mined copper through to 2027 alongside open cut operations. The first ore is expected to be produced in early 2023, with full production in the second half of the year. It will be processed through the existing facilities at Kennecott, one of only two operating copper smelters in the United States.
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.
Kennecott has 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 helped to create the Kennecott Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve (ISSR) under a mitigation plan and today, the reserve is one of the largest and most successful mitigations in the United States. 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.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto has approved a $55 million[1] investment in development capital to start underground mining and expand production at its Kennecott copper operations in Utah, United States. Underground mining will initially focus on an area known as the Lower Commercial Skarn (LCS), which will deliver a total of around 30kt[2] of additional high quality mine
SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto has started producing tellurium at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah, becoming one of only two U.S. producers of the critical mineral used in advanced thin film photovoltaic solar panels. The tellurium will be refined in North America by 5N Plus, a leading global producer of specialty semiconductors and performance materials, under a commercial
SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto and unions representing approximately 1,300 employees at the Kennecott copper operation near Salt Lake City, Utah, have reached a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new five-year agreement was ratified through a vote by union members held on 31 March 2022, following seven weeks of constructive negotiations. This agreement, effective 1 April 20
Our commitment to making a positive impact in the communities in which we operate – and where so many of our employees live – is an important part of how we do business. For example, we have been working with the Natural History Museum of Utah for more than 40 years on award-winning science education programs, community enrichment initiatives and exhibits about the natural world. In 2008, we donated copper, which today, adorns the outside of the Museum’s home at the Rio Tinto Center.
4700 Daybreak Parkway South Jordan Utah 84009 United States
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 United States
E: Kennecott Visitor Experience
W: Buy tickets
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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).
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.
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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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