Oct 1 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) and its joint venture partners, Mitsui & Co 8031.T and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal 5401.T , will spend about $1.55 billion to sustain production capacity at two iron ore projects in Western Australia, the global miner said on Monday.
Rio will invest $820 million in the projects that form part of the Robe River Joint Venture in the mineral rich Pilbara region, the Anglo-Australian miner said in a statement.