HIsmelt.

Rio Tinto PLC
22 November 2005


HIsmelt(R) plant begins ramp up to full production


The new commercial scale HIsmelt(R) plant has begun continuous production of
molten iron from its smelt reduction vessel at Kwinana in Western Australia,
marking the start of a new era of cleaner, more efficient iron production.


The HIsmelt(R) plant is owned by a joint venture comprising Rio Tinto (60 per
cent), US steelmaker Nucor Corporation (25 per cent), Japanese trading house
Mitsubishi Corporation (10 per cent) and Chinese steelmaker Shougang Corporation
(5 per cent). Construction of the plant was completed in April 2005, and has
been progressively commissioned since then.


The plant will now move into a ramp up phase, and is expected to reach its full
production rate of 800,000 tonnes per year over the next three years.  The iron
produced will be sold as pig iron once sufficient stocks have built up.


Chief executive officer, Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Sam Walsh acknowledged the support
of the Commonwealth and Western Australian governments in the establishment of
the HIsmelt(R) plant.  This included a A$50 million grant by the Commonwealth
Government for the development of multi user infrastructure with further
incentives available as commercialisation proceeds.  The Western Australian
Government provided assistance in securing the land at Kwinana for the plant.


Mr Walsh said, 'This is a significant milestone in the proving of this world
beating technology at a commercial scale. The ongoing support of both
governments has been appreciated.


'I also acknowledge the support of the joint venture participants through
HIsmelt's(R) construction and commissioning phases, and in providing the
technical expertise to help ensure the success of this exciting new venture,' he
said.


Construction of the HIsmelt(R) plant took two years, at a cost of more than
A$400 million dollars, and at its peak around 900 people were engaged on site.
Rio Tinto has spent more than A$600 million over the last 20 years in developing
this new technology.


HIsmelt(R) is a new technology developed by Rio Tinto to enable the direct
smelting of fine iron ore and coal into molten iron. It offers significant
technical and environmental advantages over existing iron making techniques.


The HIsmelt(R) plant at Kwinana has an annual production capacity of 800,000
tonnes of iron and uses iron ore from Western Australia and low volatile coal
from Queensland.  These components are injected as fines into the molten bath of
the smelt reduction vessel where they are directly smelted to molten iron.


HIsmelt(R) (Operations) Pty. Limited, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, operates the
plant on behalf of the HIsmelt(R) Kwinana Joint Venture, with 70 full time
employees.


For further information, please contact:

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Website: www.riotinto.com



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