Rio Tinto has marked a milestone in Western Australia, celebrating the shipment of eight billion tonnes of iron ore from the Pilbara region.
The achievement comes exactly 60 years after the company’s very first shipment left Australia for Japan in August 1966.
The milestone cargo departed from the Cape Lambert port on May 19, aboard the bulk carrier Juno Horizon. The shipment is bound for Nippon Steel Corporation, one of Rio Tinto’s most enduring international partners.
The company noted that eight billion tonnes of iron ore is enough to produce the steel required to build more than 161,000 Optus Stadiums in Perth, 134,000 Tokyo Skytrees, or upwards of 46,000 Bird’s Nest National Stadiums in Beijing.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore CEO Matthew Holcz said: “Shipping eight billion tonnes of iron ore from the Pilbara is a significant milestone and a testament to the generations of people who have built and sustained our operations, infrastructure and communities over the past 60 years.
“Japan was Rio Tinto’s first customer for iron ore exports, and that partnership remains a cornerstone of our business today. As global steel demand increases, we’ll continue to invest in our Pilbara operations and local communities for decades to come.”
He expressed gratitude to successive governments and local Traditional Owners for their ongoing stewardship and guidance.
Holcz also reaffirmed Rio Tinto’s long-term commitment to the region, highlighting plans to invest in local operations and communities for decades to come as global steel demand continues to rise.
Over the last 60 years, Rio Tinto’s Pilbara footprint has driven massive regional development, supporting six towns, including Karratha, Wickham, Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Pannawonica, and Dampier, alongside a further five fly-in fly-out (FIFO) hub communities across the state.
Looking to the future, the mining giant is progressing studies at the massive Rhodes Ridge deposit, which could eventually sustain a world-class mining hub pumping out 100 million tonnes of high-quality iron ore annually.
Rhodes Ridge will maintain Rio Tinto’s pathway to achieve and sustain mid-term capacity of 345 to 360Mtpa from its Pilbara iron ore business.
