Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium manages QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM), in which an agency of the Government of Madagascar has a 20 per cent interest. QMM was formed to evaluate large mineral sand deposits in the south east of Madagascar.

In 2005 Rio Tinto announced the approval of a US$775 million titanium dioxide project. The project comprises a US$585 million mineral sands operation and port in Madagascar and a US$190 million upgrade of Rio Tinto's ilmenite facilities in Canada. First production from the operation in the Fort Dauphin region is expected in late 2008 and the initial capacity will be 750,000 tonnes per year of ilmenite.

The ilmenite will be smelted at Rio Tinto's facilities at Sorel in Quebec. This will require an upgrade of storage and handling facilities as well as their associated ancillary services. With a grade of 60 per cent titanium dioxide, the Madagascar orebody is the largest known undeveloped high grade ilmenite deposit. It has an expected mine life of 40 years and will supply a new, high quality chloride slag with 91 per cent titanium dioxide content to meet long term demand for titanium dioxide by the pigment industry.