World-first: a renewable transition at Rio’s U.S. Borax

Rio Tinto confirmed in early June that its U.S. Borax operation in Boron, California became the world’s first open-pit mine to complete a full transition of its heavy machinery from fossil fuel to renewable diesel. To put the scope of the milestone in perspective, the global miner said the change brings an anticipated CO2 equivalent reduction of up to 45,000…

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Copper and The Road to Net Zero

When it comes to decarbonization, there are few elements more critical to the transition than copper. But copper miners are also working hard to decarbonize their own operations. North American Mining spoke to Nicole Witoslawski of the International Copper Association about the sector’s journey to net zero.  By Jonathan Rowland There is an implied narrative in many discussions about mining…

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Rio Tinto to power Diavik with Canada’s largest solar plant

Rio Tinto said it will build the largest solar power plant in Canada to provide up to 25% of its Diavik diamond mine’s electricity during closure work that will run until 2029. The miner anticipates the plant will be fully operational in the first half of 2024. The solar power plant, which will generate 4,200 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, will…

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Kennecott Bingham Canyon picks Cat MineStar

Caterpillar and Utah dealer wheeler Machinery have completed the installation of a Cat MineStar fleet management system at Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Bingham Canyon copper mine outside Salt Lake City. The operation opted to deploy MineStar fleet over an upgrade of its previous fleet management system, and with the new implementation the site’s equipment tracking, production recording, material management and truck…

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Rio Tinto to invest more than $900 million in Kennecott complex

In an effort to strengthen its supply of copper in the United States, Rio Tinto said it is making several investments — totaling $918 million – at its Kennecott complex outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. The miner said $498 million of funding was approved to deliver underground development and infrastructure for an area of the mine known as the…

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MAC taps Chisholm

The Mining Association of Canada has elected its newest chair, Rio Tinto’s Carolyn Chisholm. Chisholm, who serves as general manager of External Affairs for Rio Tinto Canada, will serve a two-year term with MAC. She replaces David Clarry, who is vice president for Corporate Social Responsibility for Hudbay Minerals. He was chair from June 2021 to June 2023. “Carolyn comes…

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Hitachi develops enhanced boom, arm for excavator line-up

Hitachi is developing an enhanced boom and arm for its ultra-large hydraulic excavator range with boosted durability that can extend service life*1 by 1.5 times previous models, and is now testing its durability at a Rio Tinto site in Australia. The OEM recently said that it has improved durability by expanding the applicability of steel castings to the boom and…

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Rio Tinto Kennecott goes circular

Rio Tinto Kennecott in Salt Lake City, Utah, has joined Terelion’s Circularity Program, marking a significant milestone in delivering on the industry’s ambitious goal of a more sustainable future. Through Terelion’s Circularity Program, it is now possible to recycle all cemented carbide inserts on a drill bit back to virgin material – pure tungsten – which can then be used…

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Zelandez enters North American market

Lithium brinefield services provider Zelandez will now offer its cutting-edge subsurface sensors, exploration, and extraction solutions to American and Canadian lithium mines, enabling them to develop their brine resources more efficiently. Zelandez’s expansion into the North American market is driven by several factors, including the need for modernization and upgrades in existing U.S. lithium mines; the lack of a significant…

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U.S., Rio Tinto land swap to move forward

The U.S. Forest Service said it plans to re-publish an environmental report before July that will set in motion a land swap between the U.S. government and Rio Tinto, allowing the miner to develop its Resolution Copper project in Arizona, reported Reuters. In 2014, Congress approved the land exchange of 2,422 acres above a copper deposit for 5,459 acres of…

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