Rio Tinto's Guinea Subsidiary Simfer Executives Visit Boton Technology to Deepen Cooperation and Collaborate on the Future of Sm

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!