[ Rio Tinto Targets 425 to 440 Million Tonnes in Mid-Term Iron Ore Capacity ]
Rio Tinto released an operational growth update on September 7, 2026, forecasting its global iron ore sales to expand from 346 million tonnes in 2025 to a mid-term capacity of 425 to 440 million tonnes. The capacity surge is anchored by new extraction hubs, notably the ramp-up of high-grade iron ore at the Simandou project in Guinea and the progression of the Rhodes Ridge asset in Western Australia. The miner also outlined plans to increase its copper output to 1 million tonnes per year by 2030 to supply global energy infrastructure.