Rio Tinto releases fourth quarter production results
17 Janeiro 2022 - 6:23PM
Business Wire
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said: “In 2021 we
continued to experience strong demand for our products while
operating conditions remained challenging, including due to
prolonged COVID-19 disruptions. Despite this, we progressed a
number of our projects, including the Pilbara replacement mines,
underlining the resilience of the business and the commitment and
flexibility of our people, communities and host governments. We are
seeing some initial positive results from the implementation of the
Rio Tinto Safe Production System, which we will significantly ramp
up in 2022, as we continue to work hard to improve our operational
performance to become the best operator.
“In the fourth quarter we set a new direction for the company
and announced a number of partnerships focused on decarbonising the
value chain for our products, including green steel. We also
entered into a binding agreement to acquire the Rincon lithium
project in Argentina, which is strongly aligned with our strategy.
These actions will ensure we continue to deliver attractive returns
to shareholders, invest in sustaining and growing our portfolio,
and progress our ambition to net-zero carbon emissions."
Production*
Quarter 4
2021
vs Q4
2020
vs Q3
2021
Full Year
2021
vs FY
2020
Pilbara iron ore shipments (100% basis)
(Mt)
84.1
-5%
+1%
321.6
-3%
Pilbara iron ore production (100%
basis) (Mt)
84.1
-2%
+1%
319.7
-4%
Bauxite (Mt)
13.1
-2%
-6%
54.3
-3%
Aluminium (kt)
757
-7%
-2%
3,151
-1%
Mined Copper (kt)
132
0%
+6%
494
-7%
Titanium dioxide slag (kt)
228
-16%
+9%
1,014
-9%
IOC iron ore pellets & concentrate
(Mt)
2.5
-9%
+15%
9.7
-6%
*Rio Tinto share unless otherwise stated
2021 operational highlights and other key
announcements
- The safety and well-being of our employees and contractors
remains our priority. Fatigue, labour shortages and other pressures
from COVID-19 have heightened the safety risk in day-to-day
operations and remind us that there is no room for complacency. We
experienced our third consecutive year with no fatalities at our
managed operations. We are working hard with our partners to
achieve the same results at our non-managed assets and marine
operations.
- Pilbara iron ore production of 319.7 million tonnes (100%
basis) was 4% lower than 2020. This is due to above average
rainfall in the first half of the year, cultural heritage
management and delays in growth and brownfield mine replacement
tie-in projects. Pilbara shipments in 2021 were 321.6 million
tonnes (100% basis), 3% lower than 2020, and included elevated
levels of SP10 product as a result of delays in growth and
brownfield mine replacement tie-in projects.
- Bauxite production of 54.3 million tonnes was 3% lower than
2020 due to severe wet weather in the first quarter impacting
system stability throughout the year, equipment reliability issues
and overruns on planned shutdowns at our Pacific operations.
- Aluminium production of 3.2 million tonnes was 1% lower than
2020 due to reduced capacity at our Kitimat smelter in British
Columbia following the strike which commenced in July 2021. The
labour union and employees have reached an agreement with
controlled restart in 2022.
- Mined copper production of 494 thousand tonnes was 7% lower
than 2020 due to lower recoveries and throughput at Escondida as a
result of the prolonged impact of COVID-19, partly offset by higher
recoveries and grades at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia and Kennecott in
the US.
- Titanium dioxide slag production of 1,014 thousand tonnes was
9% lower than 2020 as a result of community disruptions and
subsequent curtailment of operations at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM)
coupled with unplanned maintenance and equipment reliability issues
at Rio Tinto Fer et Titane (RTFT) in Canada. On 24 August, RBM
resumed operations following stabilisation of the security
situation, supported by the national and provincial government, as
well as substantive engagement with host communities and their
traditional authorities.
- Production of pellets and concentrate at Iron Ore Company of
Canada (IOC) was 6% lower than 2020 due to prolonged labour and
equipment availability issues impacting product feed and various
other operational challenges throughout the year.
- At the Jadar lithium-borate project in Serbia, as a result of
delays in the approval of the Exploitation Field Licence (EFL),
which is a prerequisite to publish the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) and commence the consultation process, we are
revising development timelines. Based on current estimates and
subject to receiving all relevant approvals, permits and licences,
first saleable production is expected to be no earlier than 2027
(previously 2026).
- In the fourth quarter, we entered into several partnerships to
accelerate decarbonising our own business and the value chains we
operate in. In November, we announced the ELYSIS joint venture
successfully produced aluminium without any direct greenhouse gas
emissions from commercial-size cells.
- On 20 October, we outlined the actions being taken to
strengthen the business and improve performance. We unveiled a
longer-term strategy to ensure we thrive in a decarbonising world
and continue to deliver attractive shareholder returns, in line
with our policy.
- This year, we initiated the Rio Tinto Safe Production System
(RTSPS) at five pilot sites, focusing on sustainably unlocking
capacity across the system. We are already seeing returns in the
first year of rollout including a significant improvement at the
Kennecott concentrator since the July deployment compared to the
previous 12 months performance. A significantly larger programme is
planned for 2022, subject to COVID-19 constraints, with the RTSPS
rollout of up to 30 deployments at 15 sites as well as up to 80
rapid improvement projects which aim at improving targeted
bottlenecks.
- On 28 October, we issued $1.25 billion 30-year fixed rate
SEC-registered bonds priced at 2.75%. The proceeds of the new
issuance were used to fund the early redemption and extinguishment
of the company’s $1.20 billion 3.75% bonds due to mature in June
2025.
- On 19 December, we announced the Board of Directors had
selected Dominic Barton to succeed Simon Thompson as the new Chair.
Dominic will join the Board with effect from 4 April 2022 and be
appointed to the role of Chair at the conclusion of the Rio Tinto
Limited annual general meeting on 5 May 2022.
- On 21 December, we announced we had entered into a binding
agreement to acquire the Rincon lithium project in Argentina from
Rincon Mining for $825 million. Rincon is one of the largest
undeveloped lithium brine projects in the world, located in the
heart of the lithium triangle in Salta Province.
- Our guidance assumes development of the pandemic does not lead
to government-imposed restrictions and widespread protracted cases
related to new highly contagious variants with high severity, which
could result in a significant number of our production critical
workforce and contractor base being unable to work due to illness
and/or isolation requirements. This risk extends to prolonged
interruption of service from a key partner or supplier which could
lead to severely constrained operational activity of a key asset or
project. This risk is exacerbated globally by tight labour markets
and supply chain delays.
- All figures in this report are unaudited. All currency figures
in this report are US dollars, and comments refer to Rio Tinto’s
share of production, unless otherwise stated.
The full fourth quarter production results are available
here
This announcement is authorised for release to the market by
Steve Allen, Rio Tinto’s Group Company Secretary.
riotinto.com
LEI: 213800YOEO5OQ72G2R82 Classification: 3.1 Additional
regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a
Member State
Category: General
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220117005238/en/
Please direct all enquiries to
media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, UK
Illtud Harri M +44 7920 503 600 David Outhwaite M +44
7787 597 493 Media Relations, Americas Matthew Klar T
+1 514 608 4429 Investor Relations, UK Menno Sanderse
M: +44 7825 195 178
David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Clare Peever M +44
7788 967 877 Rio Tinto plc 6 St James’s Square London SW1Y
4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No.
719885 Media Relations, Australia Jonathan Rose M +61
447 028 913 Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse
Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Investor Relations,
Australia Natalie Worley M +61 409 210 462 Amar
Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto Limited Level 7, 360
Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333
Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404
Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO)
Gráfico Histórico do Ativo
De Dez 2024 até Jan 2025
Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO)
Gráfico Histórico do Ativo
De Jan 2024 até Jan 2025