Rio Tinto's Bauxite Production Soars 8% YoY, Aluminum Output Drops 2% Amid Power Disruption Recovery

Rio Tinto's recently released third-quarter performance report showed that bauxite production reached 15.1 million tonnes, an 8% year-on-year increase and a 3% increase from the previous quarter. Among them, the Amrun mine in Weipa is operating beyond its nameplate capacity.

However, in terms of primary aluminum, Rio Tinto's production was 809,000 tonnes, a 2% decrease both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter. One of the reasons for this situation is that the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) had its power supply reduced by 185 megawatts due to a power shortage in early August. Currently, power supply has returned to normal, and the smelter resumed production at the end of September, with an expected increase in production trend to continue until the second quarter of 2025.