RIO DE JANEIRO, May 1, 2026, 12:03 (BRT)
- MRN secured an IBAMA installation licence for its Novas Minas bauxite project in Pará.
- The licence gives the green light for construction and backs operations in western Pará until 2041.
- Rio Tinto owns a 22% stake in MRN; Glencore and South32 are also shareholders.
Mineração Rio do Norte, a Brazilian bauxite producer with backing from Rio Tinto plc, secured an installation licence from IBAMA for its Novas Minas project. The move gives MRN the green light to begin construction—a crucial milestone as it looks to keep mining in western Pará through 2041. This licence allows building but doesn’t authorize mining just yet; that comes later with the final operating permit.
Timing is key here: bauxite—the ore at the heart of Rio Tinto’s aluminium business—still anchors its supply chain. MRN is targeting a 9 billion reais investment, or roughly $1.8 billion, set to roll out from 2027 through 2041. The goal: hold bauxite output steady at around 12.5 million metric tons a year.
Rio Tinto isn’t running the show here. According to its website, MRN falls under non-managed operations. The Porto Trombetas site—Brazil’s biggest bauxite mine—has Rio Tinto holding a 22% stake, South32 with 33%, and Glencore leading at 45%.
Reuters reports that after starting back in 2018, the environmental review process has wrapped, with MRN now cleared to kick off construction at five new mining locations in three municipalities. The green light covers the Rebolado, Escalante, Jamari, Barone, and Cruz Alta Leste plateaus, spread across Oriximiná, Terra Santa, and Faro.
Vladimir Senra Moreira, who oversees sustainability and legal matters at MRN, called the approval a validation of the project’s “technical and legal consistency”. He highlighted MRN’s engagement with local communities and institutions throughout the licensing phase. Brasil Mineral
MRN CEO Guido Germani described Novas Minas as “decisive” for both the company’s prospects and western Pará, pointing to new jobs, local investment, and aluminium industry links. According to Brasil Mineral, more than 7,500 jobs are set to be preserved under the project, with 85% of those positions filled by workers from Pará. Brasil Mineral
The company outlined plans for site preparation, setting up operational infrastructure, clearing access, and installing support structures. MRN estimates the installation phase will bring around 2,300 jobs. Annual tax and contribution revenues from the project are projected at roughly 380 million reais.
Rio Tinto received its Brazilian licence just as it posted a mixed set of first-quarter production numbers. Bauxite production came in at 13.3 million tons for the March period, an 11% drop year-on-year. Still, the miner stuck with its 2026 bauxite output target, maintaining guidance at 58 million to 61 million tons.
In its April update, Rio Tinto reported a 9% lift in copper output and a 13% jump in Pilbara iron ore production, noting that its integrated aluminium operations had absorbed the hit from weather-related bauxite issues. The new MRN licence won’t affect Rio’s immediate production guidance, but it does extend the group’s access to key aluminium feedstock.
The tricky part is in the Amazon licensing file. Back in March, Repórter Brasil highlighted that quilombola communities living close to MRN’s operations flagged worries about water, fishing, forest damage, and how mitigation plans were managed. That same story noted Brazil’s federal prosecutors questioned pieces of the Incra process. Incra responded that accusations about communities not being heard didn’t move forward, while MRN maintained Novas Minas fulfilled all licensing and consultation rules.
What comes next is execution. MRN holds the green light to kick off installation, though plenty remains: construction, hitting licence targets, and navigating both community and environmental oversight. Only after clearing those hurdles can the new zones move to full production.
Rio Tinto plc isn’t making headlines with a flashy acquisition or snapping up a new mine outright. Instead, the company is moving forward on a lower-profile Brazil bauxite project, important nonetheless for aluminium—where steady, long-term supply continues to count.
