An example of the multi year trend happening in Australia NOW.6 Feb 2026 14:46
LITHIUM in Australia - Trend analysis example of 2024-2025 ongoing multi year trend
Key Aspects of Rio Tinto's Lithium Portfolio and Australian Presence
Arcadium Lithium Acquisition: The acquisition of Arcadium Lithium in early 2025 made Rio Tinto the world's third-largest lithium producer, strengthening its portfolio with Australian assets.
Australian Operations: Through Arcadium, Rio Tinto acquired the Mt Cattlin spodumene mine in Western Australia, which was previously a major Australian lithium producer.
Strategy Shift: Rio Tinto is prioritizing the production of "battery-grade lithium" rather than focusing solely on spodumene, aiming to integrate vertically with its global processing capabilities.
Global Context: While building its Australian presence, Rio Tinto is also expanding in South America with the $2.5 billion development of the Rincon project in Argentina, which uses Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE).
Future Outlook: Rio Tinto aims to reach a production capacity of 225,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per year by 2028, with potential to reach 460,000 tonnes by 2033.