Rio Tinto is part of a consortium that will invest around $US733 million ($A1.11 billion) to develop the West Angelas Sustaining Project, part of the Robe River Joint Venture in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
Rio Tinto’s share of the investment will be $A588 million, while venture partners Mitsui and Nippon Steel will chip in the remainder.
The project, to develop new iron ore deposits in the West Angelas hub, has now received all necessary State and Federal Government approvals. The deposits will maintain the West Angelas hub’s total annual production capacity of 35 million tonnes, extending mining activity for years to come.
Rio Tinto estimates about 600 jobs will be created during construction. According to the company, once operational, the project will help sustain a workforce of about 950 full-time equivalent roles at the West Angelas hub.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Matthew Holcz said the project is built on a strong and committed partnerships with Mitsui and Nippon Steel, as well as the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga Peoples.
“The West Angelas hub has been an integral part of Rio Tinto Iron Ore since 2002. Securing these approvals ensures ongoing investment in the hub as we continue to supply high-quality, reliable iron ore to meet our global customers’ demand now and into the future,” Holcz said.
Rio Tinto worked closely with the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga Peoples to co-design social cultural heritage management plans for the West Angelas Sustaining Project to ensure the ongoing protection and management of cultural heritage and the environment.
The project will leverage existing West Angelas processing infrastructure and includes the construction of new non-process infrastructure precincts and 22-kilometres of haul roads.
Ore mined at the new deposits will be autonomously trucked to the West Angelas hub, with first ore scheduled for 2027.
The West Angelas Sustaining Project is part of Rio Tinto’s tranche of replacement projects that underpin the company’s ongoing commitment to the Pilbara, and which will have combined total capacity of about 130Mtpa2.
Additionally, work is well progressed on the pre-feasibility study for Rhodes Ridge, one of the world’s largest and highest quality undeveloped iron ore deposits, which is targeting an initial capacity of up to 40Mtpa and first ore by 2030.