Rio Tinto delivered its strongest operational results for the quarter and full year of 2025, with Pilbara iron ore production reaching a record 89.7 Mt in Q4, up 4% year-over-year, and shipments rising 7% to 91.3 Mt. Copper equivalent production climbed 8% to approximately 1.1 Mt CuEq, while CuEq shipments increased 5%, driven by the successful ramp-up of the Oyu Tolgoi underground project, a record bauxite output of 62.4 Mt for the full year (up 6%), and continued lithium production growth from its Argentina operations. Bauxite production in Q4 remained flat at 15.4 Mt, alumina output dipped 1% to 2.0 Mt, and consolidated copper production reached 883 kt, an 11% increase that exceeded the top end of updated guidance.

Looking ahead to fiscal 2026, Rio Tinto projects Pilbara iron ore sales of 323–338 Mt, targeting the lower end of the range based on current market dynamics. Bauxite production is guided at 58–61 Mt, while alumina output is expected to reach 7.6–8.0 Mt. The company also forecasts consolidated copper output of 860–875 kt, underpinned by the ongoing performance at Oyu Tolgoi, and maintains its full-year titanium dioxide slag and boric oxide equivalent production at approximately 1.0–1.2 Mt and 0.5 Mt respectively. Management emphasized that these targets reflect a streamlined operating model designed to drive value through operational excellence and disciplined project delivery.

In December 2025, Rio Tinto energized a new 25 MW solar facility at its Kennecott copper mine in Utah, bringing total on-site solar capacity to 30 MW. The installation of over 71,000 panels containing tellurium produced on-site cuts Scope 2 emissions by 6% and can power the equivalent of 1,026 average U.S. households annually. Constructed two months ahead of schedule in partnership with Bechtel, the project underscores a circular North American critical-minerals supply chain—tellurium from Kennecott is refined by 5N Plus in Canada, then supplied to thin-film manufacturers, completing a resilient domestic loop.