Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Product
    Sustainability

    Rio Tinto’s Chinese tyres and belts at Simandou: supply and lifecycle notes for mine teams

    January 10, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Rio Tinto’s Chinese tyres and belts at Simandou: supply and lifecycle notes for mine teams

    First reported on International Mining – News

    30 Second Briefing

    Rio Tinto is sourcing large mining tyres and conveyor belts from Chinese manufacturers for the Simandou iron ore project, citing faster lead times and more flexible logistics than traditional Western suppliers. Chinese technology vendors are also offering circularity options, such as tyre recycling and conveyor belt reprocessing, positioning themselves as long-term strategic partners rather than purely low-cost providers. For mine planners and maintenance teams, this signals broader acceptance of Chinese-origin critical consumables in high-profile greenfield developments.

    Technical Brief

    • Procurement scope covers both off-the-road (OTR) haul truck tyres and high-tension overland conveyor belts.
    • Chinese vendors are bundling consumables with lifecycle services, including on-site inspection, retreading and belt-splicing support.
    • Circularity offerings extend to shredding and reprocessing of end-of-life tyres into secondary rubber products.
    • Conveyor belt reprocessing options include recovering steel cord and reusing rubber for liners, mats or civil works.
    • Integrated tyre–belt supply from a single geography reduces interface risk between haulage and processing material-handling systems.
    • For other mining projects, similar bundled consumables-plus-circularity contracts could reshape spares inventory strategies.

    Our Take

    Simandou already features in our coverage as a major destination for Chinese heavy mining equipment, with XCMG’s 230 t diesel-electric haul trucks heading to the SimFer-operated Blocks 3 & 4 iron ore project; sourcing tyres and conveyor belts from China extends that China-centric supply chain footprint on site.

    Rio Tinto’s role at Simandou appears alongside Chinese partners such as Chinalco and Baowu Steel in other items in our database, so a procurement tilt towards Chinese consumables likely aligns with broader commercial and political linkages around the project rather than being a purely price-driven decision.

    Within the 542 Mining stories and 1,064 tag-matched pieces in our database, Simandou stands out as one of the few greenfield iron ore hubs where procurement, logistics and sustainability are being reported as tightly coupled issues, signalling that supply-chain choices here will be scrutinised almost as closely as mine design and rail/port build-out.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Mining
    about 1 hour ago

    CDE–Stevin Rock Al Ghail wash plants: process and tailings notes for engineers

    CDE Group has secured orders from Stevin Rock to design and build two modular sand and aggregates wash plants rated at 1,000 t/h and 250 t/h for the company’s Al Ghail limestone operation in the UAE. The plants will process material from a site producing over 100 Mt/y, targeting improved recovery of manufactured sand and washed aggregates from high-volume quarry fines. For process and tailings engineers, the scale signals continued investment in wet processing to maximise resource utilisation and reduce waste in large Gulf limestone quarries.

    Marimaca’s thick Pampa Medina copper-silver hit: growth and pit design notes for engineers
    Mining
    about 1 hour ago

    Marimaca’s thick Pampa Medina copper-silver hit: growth and pit design notes for engineers

    Marimaca Copper has intersected 216 metres grading 0.96% copper and 7.2 g/t silver from 466 metres in hole SPRD-15 at Pampa Medina in Chile’s Antofagasta Region, including 62 metres at 2.2% copper and 21.5 g/t silver from 602 metres, extending the copper-silver system 300 metres. Step-out holes such as SPD-13 (222 metres at 0.5% copper from 194 metres) and SPRD-12 (56 metres at 0.95% copper from 748 metres) support continuity of oxide and sulphide mineralisation across a 3 km by 1.5 km footprint. With 30,000 metres of drilling planned in 2026 and Pampa Medina only 28 km from the fully permitted Marimaca oxide project (179 Mt at 0.42% copper, 50,000 t/y cathode over 13 years), the results point to a potentially large sulphide growth option adjacent to near-term heap-leach development.

    Rio Tinto acquires Aurukun bauxite project: development and approvals lens for engineers
    Mining
    about 1 hour ago

    Rio Tinto acquires Aurukun bauxite project: development and approvals lens for engineers

    Rio Tinto has agreed to acquire the Aurukun Bauxite Project in Queensland from Glencore and Mitsubishi Development, adding to its regional bauxite portfolio anchored by the Weipa operations about 200 km north, which produce over 30 million tonnes of bauxite per year. Aurukun remains at Mineral Development Licence stage with no Mining Lease granted, and the Wik Waya Traditional Owners say they were not consulted on the sale. Financial terms were undisclosed and completion depends on Queensland government and other Australian regulatory approvals.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental