Rio Tinto reported an 8% year-on-year increase in Q3 iron ore shipments, reaching 85.7 million tonnes, driven by a record 33.2 million tonnes from the Gudai-Darri mine and a 5% improvement in Pilbara system productivity. The new Gudai-Darri ore handling circuit, commissioned in July, reduced loading cycle times by 12%, while optimized rail scheduling and upgraded crushing units boosted throughput. These operational gains cut unit cash costs by 4% to $14.50 per tonne, reinforcing Rio Tinto’s competitive position in seaborne markets and underpinning stronger free cash flow generation for reinvestment and shareholder returns.

Rio Tinto entered a two-year partnership with Amazon Web Services to commercialize Nuton Technology’s bioleaching process at the Johnson Camp copper mine in Arizona. The collaboration targets production of 30,000 tonnes of 99.99% pure copper over four years, with AWS as the inaugural customer for low-carbon copper destined for U.S. data centers. AWS cloud analytics will model heap-leach performance, driving a projected 10% uplift in copper recovery and reducing acid consumption by 15%. This digital-enabled bioleaching method eliminates traditional smelting, cuts water usage by 20%, and lowers carbon emissions by 30%, aligning with Rio Tinto’s goal to halve Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

Under two non-binding memoranda, Rio Tinto and BHP Group will jointly develop Rio’s Wunbye deposit and integrate ore from BHP’s Yandi Lower Channel operation through Rio Tinto’s existing Pilbara processing infrastructure. The agreement could unlock up to 200 million tonnes of combined iron ore resources, with first ore targeted early next decade. By leveraging rail and port capacity already upgraded in 2023, the collaboration requires minimal incremental capital outlay—estimated at under $150 million—and is projected to add 12 million tonnes per annum of incremental volume at an incremental cash cost of below $5.00 per tonne.