Simandou project

Rio Tinto PLC
11 February 2008

New leadership at world class Simandou project


11 February 2008


Rio Tinto chief executive Tom Albanese has announced the appointment of Dr David
Smith, currently Pilbara Iron managing director, as head of the world class
Simandou project in Guinea, West Africa, setting it on track to become one of
the world's great mining provinces.


Dr Smith will take up his post as managing director and president Simandou in
March and will be based in the Guinean capital Conakry.  Dr Smith, currently
responsible for all mine operations in the Pilbara, has a wide career spanning
nearly 30 years with Rio Tinto.


'The strategic importance of Simandou for Rio Tinto cannot be overstated, given
the size and quality of the deposit and the market opportunity, but its
importance to the people of Guinea is even more profound. Dr Smith's
appointment, with his long association with industry and community groups and
his strong support for training and employment programs, will ensure Simandou is
developed in a sustainable, beneficial manner for both the Guinean community and
the Rio Tinto shareholders,' Mr Albanese said.


Rio Tinto's pre-feasibility study into the development of a 70 million tonne per
annum mine at Simandou is well advanced.  Its development would make it one of
the largest iron ore mines and there are future plans to make it even larger, to
170 million tonne per annum.


'Simandou is a major new iron ore province, and promises to have the same
exciting potential as the Pilbara of the 1960s,' said Sam Walsh, chief executive
of Rio Tinto Iron Ore.


'Dr Smith has considerable experience and a range of attributes to ensure the
Simandou project is accelerated.  He has been a senior executive with a number
of our operational and technology businesses, has had considerable community and
non-mining involvement and has previously lived and worked in Africa.'


About Simandou


Simandou is a greenfield exploration project that began in the late 1990s.  It
is considered one of the best undeveloped major iron ore deposits in the world,
with targeted mineralisation of between eight and 11 billion tonnes1 with
substantial opportunities to explore along the ore body. The deposit is a large,
high quality haematite deposit with a targeted grade of more than 65% iron
content. Rio Tinto has committed US$145 million to date on the Simandou pre-
feasibility study and a further US$44 million on airport, road and information
technology infrastructure.  The 70 million tonne per annum project is expected
to cost in the order of US$6 billion.


1 The target quantity and grade of mineralisation is based on an assessment of
tenure areas in the region using surface mapping, drilling results and other
information. The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature - there
has been insufficient exploration to define a Mineral Resource, and it is
uncertain if further exploration will result in the determination of a Mineral
Resource.


About Rio Tinto


Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK,
combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto
Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.


Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major
products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold,
industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore.
Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North
America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern
Africa.


Forward-Looking Statements


This announcement includes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than
statements of historical facts included in this announcement, including, without
limitation, those regarding Rio Tinto's financial position, business strategy,
plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development
plans and objectives relating to Rio Tinto's products, production forecasts and
reserve and resource positions), are forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Rio Tinto, or industry results, to be materially different from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements.


Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding Rio
Tinto's present and future business strategies and the environment in which Rio
Tinto will operate in the future. Among the important factors that could cause
Rio Tinto's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially
from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, levels of
demand and market prices, the ability to produce and transport products
profitably, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on market prices and
operating costs, operational problems, political uncertainty and economic
conditions in relevant areas of the world, the actions of competitors,
activities by governmental authorities such as changes in taxation or regulation
and such other risk factors identified in Rio Tinto's most recent Annual Report
on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
(the 'SEC') or Form 6-Ks furnished to the SEC. Forward-looking statements
should, therefore, be construed in light of such risk factors and undue reliance
should not be placed on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Rio Tinto expressly
disclaims any obligation or undertaking (except as required by applicable law,
the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the 'Takeover Code'), the UK Listing
Rules, the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority
and the Listing Rules of the Australian Securities Exchange) to release publicly
any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to
reflect any change in Rio Tinto's expectations with regard thereto or any change
in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.


Nothing in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that future earnings
per share of Rio Tinto plc or Rio Tinto Limited will necessarily match or exceed
its historical published earnings per share.


Subject to the requirements of the Takeover Code, none of Rio Tinto, any of its
officers or any person named in this announcement with their consent or any
person involved in the preparation of this announcement makes any representation
or warranty (either express or implied) or gives any assurance that the implied
values, anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in
forward-looking statements contained in this announcement will be achieved.






For further information, please contact:


Media Relations, London                             Media Relations, Australia
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Nick Cobban                                         Amanda Buckley
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Media Relations, US                                 Media Relations, Canada
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Investor Relations, London                          Investor Relations, Australia
Nigel Jones                                         Dave Skinner
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David Ovington                                      Simon Ellinor
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Investor Relations, North America
Jason Combes
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Email: [e-mail]

Website: www.riotinto.com
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