Mining giant Rio Tinto has commenced the process of restarting operations at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in South Africa as the security situation around the mine has stabilised.
The company declared a force majeure on customer contracts at Richards Bay Minerals in June. The force majeure remains in place and the overall impact of the suspension of operations, including the shutdown of a furnace in July, is still to be assessed.
Rio Tinto said on Tuesday that the operations will be ramping up to capacity as soon as possible.
RBM was also forced to halt work on its $463m Zulti South project in 2019 after a spate of protests that led to one worker being shot and injured.
Rio Tinto’s sole South African operation employs approximately 5,000 people and produces ilmenite, rutile, and zircon – materials used in everything from paint to smart phones to sunscreens.
