Tag Archives: Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto’s Guinea Subsidiary Simfer Executives Visit BOTON to Deepen Cooperation and Collaborate

March 7, 2025 – Executives from SimFer, a joint venture between the government of the Republic of Guinea, Rio Tinto and and the Chinalco-led CIOH consortium, visited Boton. The delegation was composed by Managing Director of SimFer Chris Aitchison, General Manager of Mine Ron Gordon, Senior Mining Engineer Bryan Phoon, along with Rio Tinto’s Head of China Sourcing, Lizzy Wat, and Director of Mining Materials Sourcing, Max Shen. 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.

Responsible Product Supply: From Single Products to Technological Collaboration

Since 2018, when Boton provided Rio Tinto’s Dampier Port with its first trial conveyor belt, the cooperation between the two companies has continued to deepen. To date, Boton has cumulatively supplied Rio Tinto with conveyor belts totaling far more than 800 kilometers, covering mines and new construction projects in various regions such as Australia, Canada, the United States, Mongolia, Guinea, and more.

Moreover, the collaboration has expanded from single product supply to technological cooperation. In 2023, Boton and Rio Tinto jointly developed a conveyor belt testing platform, optimizing product design by simulating actual working conditions and jointly addressing early-stage conveyor belt damage issues.

Technological Innovation: Accelerating the Intelligent and Unmanned Transformation of Smart Mining

Boton is committed to technological innovation, driving the intelligent and unmanned transformation of the mining industry. During this visit, Boton showcased its latest achievements in smart conveying, unmanned inspection, low-carbon materials, and circular recycling. Additionally, Boton is actively exploring the recycling and reuse of worn conveyor belts, promoting the development of a circular economy. Through technological innovation, Boton not only provides efficient products to its customers but also contributes to the sustainable development of the industry.

Full-Stack Services: Pioneering the A-Z Total Service Model

Boton’s A-Z (Design, Manufacture, Supply, Monitoring, Maintenance, Operation) total service model 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.

Community Co-Development: From Product Supply to Shared Brand Values

The cooperation between Boton and Rio Tinto extends beyond product supply and technological innovation, with significant achievements in community co-development. Under Rio Tinto’s witness, Boton has actively collaborated with Canada’s Inuit indigenous communities, fostering mutual prosperity. This cooperation covers community economic development, education and employment promotion, cultural preservation, and the protection of local ecosystems, jointly building a new industrial ecosystem for smart mining conveyor services.

Furthermore, Boton has formulated the “Africa Community Action Plan,” implementing the “Future Conveyors” and “Sunshine Road” projects to contribute to the sustainable development of African communities, particularly in enhancing local youth skills and improving community infrastructure, promoting harmonious coexistence between mining development and community growth. Mr. Chris, managing director of Simfer, expressed recognition of Boton’s efforts in ESG.

The Simandou Iron Ore Project is one of the largest and highest-quality undeveloped iron ore resources globally, and Boton is honored 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, Managing Director of SimFer, 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. “

Mr. 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’.”

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “Those who share the same aspirations are not separated by mountains and seas.” The cooperation between Boton and Rio Tinto will undoubtedly transcend geographical boundaries, creating greater value and jointly driving the sustainable development of the global mining industry!

BOTON and Rio Tinto Renew Eight-Year Contract Extension, Jointly Embarking on a New Chapter of Development

On June 28th, at the BOTON Hongshan Smart Industry Park’s Innovation and Sharing Center, BOTON and Rio Tinto held a grand renewal signing ceremony, marking the official start of a new chapter of cooperation that spans eight years. This renewal is not only an affirmation of the past five years of collaborative achievements but also a firm commitment to future joint development.

Review and Prospect, Deepening Cooperation

At the signing ceremony, BOTON and Rio Tinto jointly reviewed the journey of cooperation over the past five years. To date, the total length of the conveyor belts supplied by BOTON to Rio Tinto has exceeded 800 kilometers. In addition, the two parties have achieved specific breakthroughs in three areas: technological innovation, business cooperation, and community contributions. BOTON and Rio Tinto have not only deepened mutual understanding and trust but have also established confidence and influence in the global market for both parties. Mr. Bao Zhifang, Chairman of BOTON, said in his speech that during the past five years of cooperation, BOTON has profoundly felt the patience and sincerity of sincere cooperation, the desire and interaction for mutual growth. Mr. Bao also emphasized: “Today we are here to celebrate the renewal of the global procurement contract between Rio Tinto and BOTON for 8 years, marking a new stage in our cooperative relationship. BOTON will take this opportunity to fully implement the total life cycle quality management, ensuring to provide high-end products, timely delivery, and high-quality services to Rio Tinto within the contract scope. At the same time, we will further deepen strategic cooperation beyond the contract scope, playing an active role in promoting industry progress and social development.”

Rio Tinto firmly belileves in the potential of China’s economy and that the country’shigh-quality development agenda will further promote the transformation anddevelopment of the manufacturing industry. Rio Tinto places gre at importance onlong-term cooperation, aiming not only to maintain a long-term business relationship with Chinese enterprises but also to deepen, appreciation and supportfor Chinese suppliers, thus building a more comprehensive partnership. Mr. JohnRobertson, General Manager of Maintenance Planning and Engineering for RTIO,and Mr. Jonathan Wilson, Senior Manager of Fixed Equipment spoke at the ceremony, expressing sincere gratitude to the global employees of BOTON. Theyemphasized key issues such as safe production, product quality, energy savingemission reduction, and social responsibility Rio Tinto expressed its, determinationto face challenges and seize opportunities together with BOTON, looking forward tocreating new achievements in the fields of mining and transportation systems.Rio Tinto China Sourc ing representatives including Senior ManagerLizzy Wat andMining Material Sourcing Specialist Henrique Wu also attended the signing ceremony and witnessed this important moment.

In-depth Exchange, Jointly Planning for Development

After the signing ceremony, a unique salon event was held in the live broadcast room of BOTON’s headquarters. The two senior executives of Rio Tinto, along with the management of BOTON and representatives of front-line employees, gathered together for in-depth exchanges and discussions. In a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, both sides engaged in a heated discussion on topics such as technological innovation, talent cultivation, and social responsibility. Rio Tinto representatives shared the company’s values – Care, Courage and Curiosity. . They mentioned that the process of selecting suppliers is like looking in a mirror, and the firm choice of BOTON reflects mutual recognition of each other’s missions, visions, values, and future sustainable development goals. Based on this, both parties will embark on in-depth cooperation on the road to decarbonization through technological innovation.

BOTON and Rio Tinto have reached a consensus on many key issues, and both parties have shared their efforts to improve gender diversity and respect for cultural differences and understanding of everyone’s views, reflecting care for female employees. The salon also paid special attention to front-line employees, who are called “forgotten heroes,” and both parties discussed how to better care for front-line employees and help them balance work and family life. In addition, Rio Tinto introduced its talent training program, which includes job rotation, management learning projects, and two-way dialogues between employees and managers. These initiatives aim to discuss individual career ambitions and promote the comprehensive development of employees. This salon event not only answered the doubts of BOTON’s front-line employees in their work but also further deepened the understanding and friendship between the two parties.

The renewal of the contract between BOTON and Rio Tinto is not only the continuation of the cooperation between the two parties but also a common expectation for future development. Against the backdrop of globalization, the cooperation between the two parties will not only promote the development of the mining and transportation systems field but also make a positive contribution to global sustainable development. We believe that through joint efforts and wisdom, BOTON and Rio Tinto will be able to overcome any challenges and jointly welcome a more prosperous, green, and intelligent future. Let us take today’s cooperation as the starting point to jointly open a new chapter in the development of the mining industry and contribute to the prosperity and progress of the world!