NgoJanuwari 21, 2026, ngokusho kwezindaba zakwamanye amazwe, inkampani enkulu yezimayini emhlabeni iRio Tinto idalule inqubekela phambili yayo eyinhloko yebhizinisi ngo-2025, yafinyelela impumelelo enkulu ezindaweni ezibalulekile zomkhiqizo njenge-bauxite, i-aluminium, ne-lithium. Ukusebenza kwayo "kwashintsha isinyathelo," futhi umcimbi obalulekile wokuthunyelwa kokuqala okuvela kuphrojekthi enkulu yaseSimandou eGuinea wakwenza kwaba yisihloko esigxile minyaka yonke embonini yezimbiwa yomhlaba wonke.

Ibhizinisi le-bauxite selibe ngenye yezinjini zokukhula eziyinhloko zeRio Tinto ngo-2025. Idatha ikhombisa ukuthi ukukhiqizwa kwe-bauxite yonyaka kwenkampani kukhuphuke ngo-6% unyaka nonyaka, kufinyelela ezingeni eliphakeme kakhulu lamathani ayizigidi ezingu-62.4, kanti ukukhiqizwa kwekota yesine nakho kufinyelele kumathani ayizigidi ezingu-15.4, okuqhubeka nomkhuba wokukhiqiza okuphezulu. I-Rio Tinto isho ngokusobala ukuthi ukuthuthuka kokusebenza kahle ngo-2025 kufinyelele "ushintsho lwesinyathelo", futhi ngokwenza ngcono izinqubo zokukhiqiza, ukuthuthukiswa kwemishini, kanye nokuphathwa kokuhambisana nokulawulwa kwezindawo zezimayini, kunciphisa kakhulu izindleko zokukhiqiza amayunithi ngenkathi kuqinisekiswa ukukhula kokukhiqiza. Njengezinto zokusetshenziswa eziyinhloko zeimboni ye-aluminium, ukukhiqizwa okuphezulu kwe-bauxite kubeke isisekelo esiqinile sokukhula kwamabhizinisi e-aluminium kanye ne-alumina angaphansi komfula.

Ngo-2025, ukukhiqizwa kwe-aluminium ne-alumina eRio Tinto kwanda ngasikhathi sinye, lapho ukukhiqizwa kwe-alumina kungamathani ayizigidi ezingu-1.97 kanye nokukhiqizwa kwe-aluminium kungamathani angu-85,200 kwikota yesine, okuhambisana kahle nokukhula kwesidingo somhlaba wonke sezinto ze-aluminium emkhakheni omusha wamandla.

Emkhakheni wezinto ezintsha eziyinhloko zamandla, ibhizinisi le-lithium laseRio Tinto nalo lilethe imiphumela emihle kakhulu. Izimpahla zokusebenza ze-lithium zenkampani ezise-Argentina zithole ukukhiqizwa okuphula irekhodi ngekota ngo-2025. Ingqikithi yalezi zimpahla yi-Rincon Salt Lake Lithium Project, i-Rio Tinto eyithole ngaphambilini ngama-US$825 million futhi yatshala imali eyengeziwe engama-US$2.5 billion yokwandisa. Uhlelo luwukukhulisa amandla okukhiqiza ngonyaka we-lithium carbonate yebanga lebhethri ibe ngamathani angu-60,000, kanye nokuphila kwemigodi okulindeleke kube iminyaka engama-40.

Njengamanje, iphrojekthi yokwandisa ekwakhiweni kwephrojekthi ye-Rincon iyaqhubeka njengoba kuhleliwe. Kulindeleke ukuthi iqale ngokusemthethweni ukukhiqizwa ngo-2028 futhi ingene esikhathini sokwanda. Esikhathini esizayo, izoba ngomunye wabahlinzeki be-lithium abayinhloko emhlabeni jikelele, ihlinzeka ngokusekelwa kwezinto ezibalulekile zemoto entsha yamandla, isitoreji samandla, kanye nezinye izintambo zezimboni. Uma sibheka iphethini yokuhlinzekwa kwemakethe ye-lithium yomhlaba wonke kanye nephethini yokufunwa ngo-2025, njengoba imboni yamandla amasha iqhubeka nokukhula, ukukhishwa kwamandla ebhizinisini le-lithium laseRio Tinto kulindeleke ukuthi kuthuthukise ithonya lalo emakethe yezinto zebhethri zomhlaba wonke.

Okuphawuleka kakhulu ukuthi iphrojekthi yensimbi enkulu yaseRio Tinto eSimandou, eGuinea, ithole ukuthunyelwa kwayo kokuqala kwikota yesine ka-2025, okuwuphawu olubalulekile lwale phrojekthi yokukhula eyinkimbinkimbi nenkulu ebilokhu iqhubeka iminyaka eminingi. Njengenye yezindawo zokugcina insimbi zekhwalithi ephezulu eziqinisekisiwe emhlabeni, iphrojekthi yensimbi yaseSimandou ithole ukunakwa okukhulu embonini ngenxa yezici ezifana nendawo yayo ekude kanye nezinselele ezibangelwa ukwakhiwa kwengqalasizinda. Ukuqedwa kwalokhu kuthunyelwa kokuqala akubonisi nje kuphela intuthuko enkulu yeRio Tinto ekwakhiweni kwayo kwemithombo yamaminerali e-Afrika, kodwa futhi kufaka amandla amasha endaweni yokuhlinzekwa kwensimbi yomhlaba wonke. Njengamanje, amazwe amakhulu akhiqiza insimbi njengeShayina agcina isidingo esiqhubekayo sensimbi yekhwalithi ephezulu. Ukusebenza kwezentengiselwano kwephrojekthi yaseSimandou kulindeleke ukuthi kunciphise ukunikezwa okuqinile kwensimbi yekhwalithi ephezulu emhlabeni jikelele, kuyilapho kuqhubekisela phambili kakhulu intuthuko yezomnotho wendawo eGuinea.

Ngokombono wemboni, impumelelo yeRio Tinto emigqeni eminingi yebhizinisi ngo-2025 ihambisana nezitayela ezihlukile kanye nezidingo zokuguqulwa okuluhlaza kwemakethe yezimpahla zomhlaba wonke. Ngo-2025, imakethe yensimbi engasebenzisi insimbi yomhlaba wonke ibonise ukusebenza okuqinile, lapho ithusi, i-aluminium, nezinye izinhlobo zibhekene namandla entengo ngenxa yokulingana kwesidingo sokunikezwa okuqinile. Ukusebenza okuqhubekayo kwamanani e-aluminium kwabangelwa kakhulu ukukhula kwesidingo esiluhlaza, njengokukhanya kwezimoto ezintsha zamandla kanye nokusetshenziswa kwe-aluminium kumafreyimu we-photovoltaic module, lapho isidingo esiluhlaza sibalwa ku-15% wemakethe.

Ukukhula komkhiqizo weRio Tinto emabhizinisini e-bauxite kanye ne-aluminium kufane ncamashi nesidingo somhlaba wonke sezinto ze-aluminium kumongo wokuguqulwa okuluhlaza; okwamanje, ukwakheka kwebhizinisi layo le-lithium kulandela eduze umkhuba wokuthuthukiswa kwemboni entsha yamandla, kuhambisana nomkhuba oyinhloko wokuguqulwa kwesakhiwo samandla somhlaba wonke.

Abangaphakathi embonini bahlaziya ukuthi ukusebenza okumangalisayo kweRio Tinto emigqeni eminingi yebhizinisi ngo-2025 kwakubangelwa kakhulu ukuhlelwa kwayo okunembile kwemithombo yamaminerali eyinhloko kanye nokwenza ngcono okuqhubekayo kokusebenza kahle. Njengoba ushintsho oluluhlaza emhlabeni wonke lujula, inani lecebo lamaminerali abalulekile njengethusi, i-aluminium, ne-lithium lizobonakala kakhulu.

I-International Energy Agency ibikezela ukuthi ngo-2030, isilinganiso sesidingo se-aluminium yomhlaba wonke esihlobene nentuthuko eluhlaza sizokhuphuka sifinyelele ku-25%. Njengoba amandla ayo okugcina kanye nokuthuthuka kwamaphrojekthi ku-aluminium, i-lithium, kanye ne-iron ore, amandla okukhula esikhathi esizayo eRio Tinto kufanele abhekwe ngabomvu. Okwamanje, ukuthuthuka okuqhubekayo kanye nokukhululwa kwamandla kwephrojekthi yeSimandou kuzosebenza njengensika ebalulekile ekukhuleni kweRio Tinto okuphakathi nesikhathi eside, okuqinisa isikhundla sayo njengenkampani enkulu yezimayini emhlabeni jikelele embonini.

Mayelana nentuthuko yesikhathi esizayo, iRio Tinto ithe izoqhubeka nokugxila ekuthuthukisweni nasekusetshenzisweni kwemithombo yamaminerali eyinhloko, isheshise imisebenzi ebalulekile njengokwandiswa kwephrojekthi ye-lithium e-Argentina kanye nokwandiswa kwamandla okukhiqiza kuphrojekthi yeSimandou, ngenkathi iqinisa amakhono okukhiqiza aluhlaza kanye nalawo asebenzisa ikhabhoni ephansi ukuze kube lula ukuguqulwa kwamandla omhlaba wonke kanye nokufezwa kwemigomo yokungathathi hlangothi kwekhabhoni.