Rio Tinto marks 60 years of Pilbara exports with eight-billionth tonne dispatch

Rio Tinto has dispatched its eight-billionth tonne of iron ore from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, a milestone that underscores the scale of its long-standing operations in the resource sector. The shipment departed from Cape Lambert port aboard the Juno Horizon on 19 May 2026, bound for partner Nippon Steel Corporation in Japan.

The delivery marks exactly 60 years since the company’s initial iron ore cargo left Western Australia for Japan in August 1966. This commercial relationship has remained a cornerstone of Rio Tinto’s business strategy, with Japan serving as the company’s first customer for iron ore exports and continuing to be a key partner as global steel demand evolves.

To illustrate the volume of the eight-billion-tonne milestone, Rio Tinto noted that the total ore dispatched could supply enough steel to construct more than 161,000 Optus Stadiums in Perth, 134,000 Tokyo Skytree towers, or 46,000 Beijing National Stadiums. The Pilbara operations have also contributed to the growth of six regional towns, including Dampier, Karratha, and Tom Price, while supporting additional communities through fly-in fly-out arrangements.

Matthew Holcz, Rio Tinto’s iron ore chief executive, described the achievement as a testament to the generations of people who have built and sustained the company’s infrastructure and communities over the past six decades. He thanked successive governments for their support and acknowledged Traditional Owners for their ongoing partnership and stewardship of the land.

Looking ahead, Rio Tinto is progressing assessment work at the Rhodes Ridge project, an undeveloped deposit in which it holds a 50% interest. The company indicated that this site could underpin a major mining centre capable of producing approximately 100 million tonnes per annum of higher-grade ore, helping to maintain its medium-term Pilbara output range of 345 to 360 million tonnes per annum.