Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our business
We operate in 35 countries where our 57,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our purpose in action
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
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
Decarbonisation progress update
We have a clear plan on decarbonisation - find out more about our progress in 2024
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Acquisition of Arcadium Lithium
Bringing our scale, development capabilities and financial strength to the Arcadium Lithium portfolio
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Things you can't live without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
The 'f' word of innovation
How unlocking innovation requires a change of mindset
Reducing titanium oxide's carbon footprint
Our BlueSmelting technology could drastically reduce carbon emissions during ore processing
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If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
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Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
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The world needs more copper. From everyday appliances like toasters and washing machines, to the solar panels and wind turbines that will power a renewable future, copper is an ever more in-demand metal with every passing year.
As a copper producer, we've known for a while that we need to find better ways to meet this demand. But we need to do it responsibly.
So we've spent 30 years testing and developing a solution – one that's not only highly effective, but also sustainable, aspiring to have a real impact where it is deployed.
Nuton, a Rio Tinto venture, is a bio-heap leaching technology. Developed over 3 decades of research and development, it has the potential to produce copper from resources that were previously too technically challenging or expensive to process in any other way.
This unique technology achieves recovery rates of up to 85% from primary sulphide ore, the most abundant type of copper ore in the world – substantially higher than recoveries achieved by alternative leaching technologies.
Nuton eliminates the need for smelting and refining. In a single integrated process, we can produce a high-quality copper cathode on site.
With Nuton, we aspire to provide the copper the world needs, while meeting society’s higher expectations about the way it’s produced. At each site, we aim to produce the lowest footprint primary copper, while working with our partners at each site to create a positive impact in water, energy, land, materials and society.
The International Energy Agency predicts that copper will remain the most widely used metal in renewable energy technologies. They predict that to achieve net zero, total demand for copper will grow to 34.7 million tons by 2030, compared to 25 million tons of supply in 2022.
At Nuton’s core is a biological leach process that transforms copper-bearing rock or mine waste into 99% pure copper cathode.
Our leaching process starts by creating a heap – a very large pile of crushed rock. Depending on the site, that could be newly mined ore or previously mined rock that has been discarded as waste.
Added to the heap is a carefully cultivated culture of micro-organisms – the natural catalyst of our technology. Once added, they multiply, harnessing energy from the minerals in the rock to grow and concentrate the copper.
To support the microorganisms, we aerate the heap and add acidified water. By creating favourable conditions for microorganism activity, we accelerate the copper leached from chalcopyrite in the heap material, enabling unparalleled copper recovery.
The name ‘Nuton’ draws from Sir Isaac Newton – the famous scientist, mathematician, physicist, and alchemist – an inspiration for the Nuton team to explore the boundaries of what is possible while remaining grounded in data, science and engineering.
‘Nuton’ also references the ‘new tonne’ of copper captured through this new technology, employing a new business model, and designed for a new, more sustainably minded, market.
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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.
Part 1 of this Privacy Policy contains the Rio Tinto Data Privacy Standard, which provides an overview of Rio Tinto’s approach to personal data processing. There is additional information in the appendices to the Data Privacy Standard, including information about disclosures, trans-border data transfers, the exercise of data subject rights and how to make complaints or obtain further information relating to Rio Tinto’s processing of your personal data.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us at digital.comms@riotinto.com).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
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As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of this Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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