LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Rio Tinto (RTPPF.PK, RIO.L, RIO, RTNTF.PK) said it will
invest US$143 million to develop a research and development facility in Western
Australia to further assess the effectiveness of its low-carbon ironmaking
process, BioIron, to support decarbonising the global steel value chain.

The company noted that BioIron uses raw biomass and microwave energy instead of
coal to convert Pilbara iron ore to metallic iron in the steelmaking process.

The BioIron facility will include a pilot plant that will be ten times bigger
than its predecessor in Germany.

The plant has been designed in collaboration with University of Nottingham,
Metso Corporation and Western Australian engineering company Sedgman Onyx.
Fabrication of the equipment will begin this year, with commissioning expected
in 2026. These works are expected to support up to 60 construction jobs.

According to the company, the research and development facility will employ
around 30 full-time employees and include space for equipment testing to support
further scaling up of the BioIron technology, while developing a workforce
highly skilled in steel
decarbonisation and supporting WA universities and research organisations.



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