NgoJanuwari 21, 2026, ngokutsho kweendaba zangaphandle, inkampani enkulu yezemigodi yehlabathi iRio Tinto ityhile inkqubela yayo ephambili kwezoshishino ngo-2025, ifikelela kwimpumelelo ebalulekileyo kwiindawo eziphambili zemveliso ezifana ne-bauxite, i-aluminium, kunye ne-lithium. Ukusebenza kwayo kutshintshe kakhulu, kwaye isiganeko esibalulekileyo sokuthunyelwa kokuqala okuvela kwiprojekthi enkulu yaseSimandou eGuinea senza ukuba ibe sisihloko esiphambili sonyaka kushishino lwezemigodi lwehlabathi.

Ishishini le-bauxite libe yenye yeenjini eziphambili zokukhula kweRio Tinto ngo-2025. Idatha ibonisa ukuba imveliso ye-bauxite yonyaka yenkampani inyuke nge-6% unyaka nonyaka, ifikelela kwinqanaba eliphezulu leetoni ezingama-62.4 ezigidi, kwaye imveliso yekota yesine nayo ifikelele kwi-15.4 ezigidi zeetoni, iqhubeka nomkhwa wemveliso ephezulu. I-Rio Tinto ichaze ngokucacileyo ukuba ukuphuculwa kokusebenza kakuhle ngo-2025 kufezekise "utshintsho olunyathelo", kwaye ngokuphucula iinkqubo zemveliso, ukuphuculwa kwezixhobo, kunye nolawulo lokuthobela imithetho kunye nolawulo lweendawo zemigodi, inciphise ngakumbi iindleko zemveliso yeyunithi ngelixa iqinisekisa ukukhula kwemveliso. Njengezinto ezisetyenziswa kakhulu zeimboni ye-aluminium, imveliso ephezulu ye-bauxite ibeke isiseko esiqinileyo sokukhula kwamashishini e-aluminium kunye ne-alumina asezantsi.

Ngowama-2025, imveliso ye-aluminium kunye ne-alumina yaseRio Tinto yanda ngaxeshanye, ngemveliso ye-alumina eyi-1.97 yezigidi zeetoni kunye nemveliso ye-aluminium eyi-85,200 yeetoni kwikota yesine, nto leyo ehambelana ngempumelelo nokukhula kwemfuno yehlabathi yezinto ze-aluminium kwicandelo elitsha lamandla.

Kwicandelo lezixhobo ezintsha zamandla, ishishini le-lithium laseRio Tinto nalo livelise iziphumo ezimangalisayo. Iiasethi zokusebenza ze-lithium zenkampani ezikwiArgentina zifumene imveliso eyaphula irekhodi ngekota ngo-2025. Eyona mpahla iphambili yiRincon Salt Lake Lithium Project, eyayithengwe yiRio Tinto ngaphambili nge-US$825 yezigidi kwaye yatyala imali eyongezelelweyo ye-US$2.5 yezigidigidi yokwandisa. Isicwangciso kukunyusa amandla okuvelisa i-lithium carbonate yonyaka ukuya kwiitoni ezingama-60,000, kunye nobomi bomgodi obulindelekileyo beminyaka engama-40.

Okwangoku, iprojekthi yokwandisa eyakhiwayo kwiprojekthi yaseRincon iyaqhubeka njengoko bekucwangcisiwe. Kulindeleke ukuba iqalise ngokusesikweni imveliso ngo-2028 kwaye ingene kwixesha lokunyuka. Kwixesha elizayo, iya kuba ngomnye wababoneleli abaphambili be-lithium kwihlabathi liphela, inika inkxaso ebalulekileyo yezinto ezisetyenziswa kwisithuthi esitsha samandla, ukugcinwa kwamandla, kunye nezinye iindlela zoshishino. Xa kujongwa ukubonelela ngemarike ye-lithium yehlabathi kunye nepateni yemfuno ngo-2025, njengoko ishishini elitsha lamandla liqhubeka nokukhula, ukukhululwa kwamandla kwishishini le-lithium laseRio Tinto kulindeleke ukuba kuphucule ngakumbi impembelelo yalo kwimarike yezinto zebhetri zehlabathi.

Okubaluleke kakhulu kukuba, iprojekthi yesinyithi enkulu yaseRio Tinto eSimandou, eGuinea, ifikelele ekuthunyelweni kwayo kokuqala kwikota yesine ka-2025, nto leyo ephawula isiganeko esibalulekileyo sale projekthi inzima nekhula kakhulu ebiqhubeka iminyaka emininzi. Njengenye yezona ndawo zibalulekileyo zehlabathi eziqinisekisiweyo zokugcina isinyithi esikumgangatho ophezulu, iprojekthi yesinyithi yaseSimandou ifumene ingqalelo enkulu kushishino ngenxa yezizathu ezifana nendawo yayo ekude kunye nemingeni ebangelwa kukwakhiwa kweziseko zophuhliso. Ukugqitywa kokuthunyelwa kokuqala akubonisi nje kuphela impumelelo enkulu kwiRio Tinto kulwakhiwo lwayo lwemithombo yezimbiwa eAfrika, kodwa kukwafaka amandla amatsha kumhlaba wobonelelo lwesinyithi sehlabathi. Okwangoku, amazwe amakhulu avelisa isinyithi afana neTshayina agcina imfuno eqhubekayo yesinyithi esikumgangatho ophezulu. Ukusebenza kwezorhwebo kweprojekthi yaseSimandou kulindeleke ukuba kunciphise ukunikezelwa okuncinci kwesinyithi esikumgangatho ophezulu kwihlabathi liphela, ngelixa kuqhuba kakhulu uphuhliso loqoqosho lwasekuhlaleni eGuinea.

Ngokwembono yoshishino, impumelelo yeRio Tinto kwimigca emininzi yeshishini ngo-2025 ihambelana neendlela ezahlukeneyo kunye neemfuno zotshintsho oluluhlaza kwimarike yeempahla zehlabathi. Ngo-2025, imakethi yesinyithi engeyiyo intsimbi yehlabathi ibonise ukusebenza okuqinileyo, apho ubhedu, i-aluminium, kunye nezinye iintlobo zifumana amandla amaxabiso ngenxa yokulingana kwemfuno yokubonelela. Ukusebenza okuzinzileyo kwamaxabiso e-aluminium kubangelwa ikakhulu kukukhula kwemfuno eluhlaza, njengokukhanya kwizithuthi zamandla amatsha kunye nokusetyenziswa kwe-aluminium kwizakhelo zeemodyuli ze-photovoltaic, kunye nemfuno eluhlaza ebalelwa kwi-15% yemarike.

Ukukhula kwemveliso yeRio Tinto kwishishini le-bauxite kunye ne-aluminium kuhambelana ngokuchanekileyo nemfuno yehlabathi yezixhobo ze-aluminium kwimeko yotshintsho oluluhlaza; okwangoku, uyilo lweshishini layo le-lithium lulandele ngokusondeleyo umkhwa wophuhliso lweshishini elitsha lamandla, lihambelana nomkhwa ophambili wotshintsho lwesakhiwo samandla sehlabathi.

Abantu abakwishishini bahlalutya ukuba ukusebenza okumangalisayo kweRio Tinto kwimigca emininzi yeshishini ngo-2025 kwakubangelwa kakhulu kuyilo lwayo oluchanekileyo lwezixhobo eziphambili zezimbiwa kunye nokuphuculwa okuqhubekayo kokusebenza kakuhle. Njengoko utshintsho oluluhlaza lwehlabathi lusiba nzulu, ixabiso leqhinga lezimbiwa eziphambili ezifana nobhedu, i-aluminium, kunye ne-lithium liya kuba likhulu ngakumbi.

I-International Energy Agency iqikelela ukuba ngo-2030, umlinganiselo wemfuno ye-aluminium yehlabathi enxulumene nophuhliso oluluhlaza uza kunyuka uye kwi-25%. Ngenxa yokugcinwa kwamandla ayo kunye nophuhliso lweprojekthi kwi-aluminium, i-lithium, kunye ne-iron ore, amandla okukhula kweRio Tinto kwixesha elizayo afanele ukujongwa phambili. Okwangoku, uphuhliso oluqhubekayo kunye nokukhululwa kwamandla eprojekthi yaseSimandou kuya kusebenza njengentsika ebalulekileyo yokukhula kweRio Tinto phakathi kwexesha elide neliphakathi, okuqinisa ngakumbi isikhundla sayo njengenkampani enkulu yezemigodi kwihlabathi liphela kushishino.

Ngokuphathelele uphuhliso lwexesha elizayo, iRio Tinto ithe iza kuqhubeka nokugxila kuphuhliso kunye nokusebenza kwezixhobo eziphambili zezimbiwa, ikhawulezise imisebenzi ephambili efana nokwandiswa kweprojekthi ye-lithium eArgentina kunye nokwandiswa kwamandla emveliso kwiprojekthi yaseSimandou, ngelixa iqinisa amandla okuvelisa indalo kunye nekhabhoni ephantsi ukuze kube lula ukuguqulwa kwamandla ehlabathi kunye nokufezekiswa kweenjongo zokungathathi cala kwekhabhoni.