Rio Tinto celebrated the cumulative shipment of 8 billion tons of iron ore from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The cargo departed on May 19, 2026, from the Port of Cape Lambert aboard the vessel Juno Horizon, bound for Nippon Steel Corporation.
This shipment marks six decades of continuous mining activity in Pilbara. In August 1966, the company made its first shipment of iron ore from Western Australia to Japan, and since then, the trade relationship with the Asian market has been key to the growth of its operations.
Pilbara strengthens its position in the steel industry
Furthermore, the volume exported by the company demonstrates the scale of its mining business. According to the company, 8 billion tons of iron ore are enough to produce sufficient steel to build more than 161,000 Optus stadiums in Perth, 134,000 Skytree towers in Tokyo, or more than 46,000 national stadiums in Beijing.
Nippon Steel, for its part, plays a central role in this story. The Japanese steelmaker was one of the company’s first iron ore customers and remains one of its strategic partners.
Six decades of operations in Western Australia
The company’s operations in the Pilbara region have also boosted the development of towns such as Karratha, Wickham, Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Pannawonica, and Dampier. The company has also highlighted its collaboration with local governments and traditional landowner groups in the region.
Matthew Holcz, CEO of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, noted that this shipment reflects the work of several generations who have sustained the operations, infrastructure and communities linked to the mining business.
Rhodes Ridge points to Rio Tinto’s productive future
Meanwhile, Rio Tinto is making progress on studies of Rhodes Ridge, an iron ore deposit where it holds a 50% stake. The company estimates that this asset could become a mining center with a capacity of close to 100 million tons per year of high-quality iron ore.
With this project, the mining company seeks to maintain a production capacity of between 345 and 360 million tons per year in its Pilbara iron ore business.
Source: Rio Tinto