Rio Tinto reported exceptional production across its portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2025, with Pilbara iron ore output rising 4% year-on-year to 89.7 Mt and shipments up 7% at 91.3 Mt. Full-year Pilbara production reached 327.3 Mt, marginally ahead of guidance, while Simandou achieved its first commercial shipment from the newly commissioned port facility. Copper equivalent production climbed 8% to 883 kt on a consolidated basis, driven by the completion of the Oyu Tolgoi underground development, which propelled annual copper output 11% higher to 883 kt. Bauxite production held steady at 62.4 Mt, reflecting continued optimization of operations, and alumina production grew 4% to 7.6 Mt. Lithium operations delivered record quarterly volumes from Argentine assets, reinforcing the company’s strategy to build disciplined growth in battery-grade minerals.

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 project, built in partnership with Bechtel and completed two months ahead of schedule, features over 71,000 panels containing tellurium produced on site. This installation reduces Kennecott’s Scope 2 emissions by approximately 6%, equivalent to removing some 4,400 cars from the road annually, and supplies enough clean power for roughly 1,026 average U.S. households. By sourcing tellurium from its own refining operations and converting it through a North American supply chain involving 5N Plus and First Solar, Rio Tinto demonstrates a circular critical-minerals model that enhances supply-chain resilience and supports U.S. energy security.