Senior executives from Rio Tinto Simfer, the joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Guinea, Rio Tinto and and the Chinalco-led CIOH consortium that is developing Blocks 3 and 4 of the Simandou iron ore project, recently visited leading Chinese mining conveyor technology supplier, Boton (formerly Wuxi Boton), at its facilities in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province.
The Simfer delegation was composed by Managing Director of Simfer Chris Aitchison, General Manager Mine Ron Gordon and Senior Mining Engineer Bryan Phoon along with Rio Tinto’s Head of China Sourcing, Lizzy W., and Director of Mining Materials Sourcing, Max Shen. Boton said the two parties engaged in in-depth discussions on the theme of ‘Responsible Supply to Innovation and Productivity,’ further exploring cooperation prospects in the fields of smart mining, technological innovation, operational services and community development.
To date, Boton has cumulatively supplied Rio Tinto with conveyor belts totalling far more than 800 km, covering mines and new construction projects in various regions such as Australia, Canada, the United States, Mongolia, Guinea and elsewhere.
Moreover, the collaboration has expanded from single product supply to technological cooperation. Boton and Rio Tinto for example have jointly developed a conveyor belt testing platform.
During the visit, Boton showcased its latest achievements in smart conveying, unmanned inspection, low-carbon materials, and circular recycling. Boton is actively exploring the recycling and reuse of worn conveyor belts, promoting the development of a circular economy.
Boton’s A-Z (Design, Manufacture, Supply, Monitoring, Maintenance, Operation) total service model it says offers customers a full lifecycle solution from design to operation. This model “provides safe, efficient, and reliable conveyor system services, not only enhancing production efficiency but also significantly reducing operational costs for customers.”
The cooperation between Boton and Rio Tinto also extends beyond product supply and technological innovation, with significant achievements in community co-development and ESG.
The Simandou iron ore project is one of the largest and highest-quality undeveloped iron ore resources globally and Boton says it is honoured to participate in this historic project. In March 2024, Boton officially began supplying the Rio Tinto Simandou mining project. Currently, Boton has established Boton Conveyor Services Guinea LLC and the Boton Africa Technical Service Center in Guinea, providing 24/7 technical support to ensure project supply chain security and operational continuity.
During the exchange, Chris Aitchison stated: “Simfer is committed to maximising the benefits of the Simandou project, through local content, prioritising employment and upskilling the Guinean workforce. We are working closely with all our suppliers to ensure that their investments contribute to supporting community development initiatives, enriching training programmes, expanding local sourcing and increasing employment prospects. We welcome the establishment of a Boton service centre in Guinea, contributing to our local content targets, and look forward to Boton’s greater involment in community co-development projects.”
Bao Zhifang, Chairman of Boton, added: “For the Simandou iron ore project, Boton has successfully supplied conveyor belt products to the Winning Consortium and is about to deliver the first batch of conveyor belts and intelligent online monitoring products to Simfer. Boton’s Guinea Technical Service Center is already providing conveyor belt supply, installation, and maintenance services to end-users in Guinea. Facing the global trend of green and intelligent transformation in the mining industry, Boton is willing to further expand cooperation with Rio Tinto Group, jointly exploring new energy mining truck conveyor systems and circular economy scenarios, practicing ESG goals, and creating a global model of ‘resource development-technological innovation-community.’”
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