[SMM Aluminum Express News] Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle made landfall near Coen, Far North Queensland, Australia, around 7:30 AM on March 20, 2026, as a Category 4 system (after peaking as Cat 5 offshore). It brought winds >250 km/h, 200–500 mm rain, flash flooding, and storm surge—one of the strongest cyclones to hit the region in decades. Rio Tinto shut down its Weipa bauxite operations (including Amrun and Andoom mines) as a precaution against destructive winds, heavy rain, and risks to infrastructure. The Weipa area supplies key global bauxite for aluminium production. Emergency evacuations occurred in remote communities like Lockhart River.

Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) said on Monday it has gained control of acreage in Arizona needed to build the Resolution Copper mine, a project slated to become one of the largest US sources of the critical mineral but one that Native Americans have opposed for more than 20 years.

Rio Tinto said it has gained control of the land needed to build the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona, USA.

Following a worker fatality on March 12, Rio Tinto suspended operations at its Kennecott copper mine in Utah, US. In a statement posted on its official website, Rio Tinto said that all surface and underground mining operations at Kennecott (also known as Bingham Canyon Mine) had been suspended. Chief Executive Officer Simon Trott said the company was working closely with the relevant authorities and contractor partners to support a full and thorough investigation.

Rio Tinto said it will slow the construction pace of the lithium processing plant for the Nemaska Lithium Project in Bécancour, Quebec, Canada, due to a sharp rise in project costs. Most contractors are expected to halt work in the coming weeks, with only a minimal number of workers remaining on site to maintain operations. The plant is currently more than 70% complete and is planned to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide, with operations originally scheduled to begin in 2028. Full construction activity is expected to resume in 2027. Rio Tinto added that despite the slowdown, it still plans to invest more than $300 million in its Quebec lithium business in 2026 and does not expect significant changes to the overall project timeline.

Recently, Rio Tinto Group and CATL signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing a Partnership. The two parties will carry out in-depth cooperation in three key areas: strategic development and innovation in electrification, supply chains and the circular economy, and commercial and cooperation mechanisms, to jointly seize new industrial opportunities arising from the low-carbon transition. According to the Memorandum of Understanding, the two parties will prioritize advancing electrification applications in mining operations, exploring commercial pathways for battery materials recycling and the circular development of critical mineral resources, and studying circular economy practices and diversified cooperation models.