Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
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We operate in 35 countries where our 60,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
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Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
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The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Enabling ESG transparency
Our START™ initiative tracks traceability and responsible production of Rio Tinto materials.
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
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How we're working to decarbonise iron ore and steel
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Clean-energy technologies like wind, solar and hydro will power a carbon-neutral future. And to build them, we’re going to need critical minerals and metals. A lot of them.
We know demand for these materials can’t come at the expense of people and the environment – we need to leave the lightest footprint we can. And although new technologies have improved our processes over time, our industry still uses a lot of energy and can produce hazardous waste.
But what if some of the oldest and tiniest living organisms on Earth could offer solutions to these big challenges?
Sometimes called the ‘life support system of the biosphere’, microbes maintain the health of all life – plants, animals and humans. They break down organic matter, capture carbon dioxide in waste, and create the nutrients that entire ecosystems need to grow. If we can learn more about these microscopic creatures, their individual traits, and how they work with each other, we may be able to combine their strengths to help us mine more sustainably.
“I like to say that there is always a microbe out there somewhere that can solve any issue you have – the problem is finding the right ones when you need them! This is where M-MAP will be a game-changer, giving us and our partners a unique breadth and depth of data related to microbes that are already doing amazing things at our mine sites. With this data we can identify the right microbe for a solution, isolate where it is at our sites and understand which pathways the microbe or microbial community is using to deliver the functionality we need.”
– Nick Gurieff, Principal Adviser for Closure Research and Development, Rio Tinto
That’s where the Mining Microbiome Analytics Platform (M-MAP) project comes in.
Running between February 2022 and December 2024, M-MAP was a partnership between government, a leading Canadian research university, not-for-profit research partners, and global mining, bioinformatics and synthetic biology companies. The project successfully developed the world’s largest database of mine site microbial data. This data is already proving valuable for research and development projects that are applying the data in M-MAP to find better ways to more sustainably conduct mining operations and also rehabilitate sites post-mining.
We already know, for example, that microbes exist that can consume and break down a metal called selenium – which is sometimes found in mining waste – so that the metal itself can be removed from the environment and recycled safely. But it's possible we could also find a combination of microbes that would speed up reforestation after a mine closes. Or that could treat contaminated water to be drinkable again, without needing to use any chemicals. Or that could protect natural environments from becoming polluted in the first place. We’re leveraging the capabilities of M-MAP in several collaborative projects where the application of the right microbes for the right job may provide opportunities throughout the life cycle of mining operations.
Although biotech has been used before in mining, M-MAP has given us uniquely detailed insight to the microbiomes that already exist at our sites – by identifying, sequencing and cataloguing all their key traits in an industry focused database that also links to their original site’s geospatial, climate and chemical data.
Although microbes are tiny, cataloguing, sequencing and interpreting their DNA to find the right combinations is a huge job, with trillions of possibilities. By building a huge bank of data, M-MAP offers a way for researchers and mining teams to find unique traits of existing microbiomes – and possibly even develop new combinations – to target and solve specific issues in ways we haven’t even thought of yet.
"As an early mining user of the platform, we see the transformative potential for this microbiome-based technology to promote environmental stewardship and help us achieve net zero emissions from our operations by 2050. By providing samples from our mines for genome sequencing, we are contributing to the potential development of breakthrough biological solutions to decarbonise the extraction and processing of metals and minerals, and to support the remediation of mine sites."
– Mark Davies, Chief Technical Officer, Rio Tinto
Throughout the project, we provided over 2,500 rock, water, soil and tailings samples from our Kennecott Copper, Boron and Vaudreuil sites. Along with samples collected by our partners at Teck from their sites, the data collected has helped the M-MAP team develop their extensive research databases. We are now working with research partners to convert this knowledge and data into new applications where our mining microbiome is put to work to meet the challenges in our industry.
A unique resource of this scale will be incredibly valuable for the mining industry, our research partners, future biotechnologists, and many other industries too, as we work to decarbonise our operations. With this in mind, once the M-MAP project finished, we worked with several other partners to commercialise the outcomes in the startup company, nPhyla.
We need to act quickly and responsibly to meet our commitment to achieve net zero emissions from our operations by 2050. And while we still have hard work ahead of us, we’re optimistic that the M-MAP database could help us identify and use microbes that will help us mine more sustainably, and be the first step in making sustainable microbial solutions a routine part of the mining industry.
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With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
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