Rio Tinto reported iron ore output of 64.9 million tonnes in the third quarter, marking a 5% year-on-year increase driven by record production from its Gudai-Darri hub. Operational efficiency in the Pilbara region improved by 4%, helping to reduce unit production costs by approximately US$1.20 per tonne. The company’s logistical upgrades, including expanded rail capacity and additional ship loader hours at Port Hedland, supported a 3% rise in export throughput compared with Q3 of the prior year.

Rio Tinto has entered a two-year strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to commercialize low-carbon copper from its Nuton Technology operations at the Johnson Camp mine in Arizona. AWS will become Nuton’s first customer, incorporating up to 30,000 tonnes of 99.99% pure copper over four years into its U.S. data center supply chain. Leveraging AWS cloud-based analytics to optimize a modular bioleaching process, Nuton expects to improve copper recovery by 8% and reduce acid and water consumption by 15%, while eliminating traditional smelting and refining steps.

Under two non-binding memoranda of understanding, Rio Tinto and BHP will jointly develop the Wunbye deposit and integrate ore from BHP’s Yandi Lower Channel Deposit into Rio Tinto’s existing Pilbara processing facilities. The initiative targets the extraction of up to 200 million tonnes of additional iron ore, with first shipments anticipated in early 2031 and minimal incremental capital expenditure due to shared infrastructure use. The collaboration builds on a 2023 framework agreement and is expected to enhance regional production flexibility and extend mine life by at least five years.