RIO Tinto Minerals has revealed plans for an $11 million expansion of its Lake MacLeod salt operation, near Carnarvon. The expansion program will deliver an additional 500,000 tonnes of salt, taking total production to 1.9 million tonnes at this site annually and boost its total Western Australian production to around 9mt a year. The company said the project will help increase Rio Tinto Mineral’s capacity to meet growing international demand for salt. Rio Tinto Minerals is the world’s largest exporter of high quality solar salt, marketed under the Dampier Salt brand. Operations are located at Port Hedland and Dampier as well as Lake MacLeod. The proposed investment program includes refurbishing existing and establishing new crystallisers within operational areas previously used for growing salt.