Fortescue has marked a new major milestone, shipping 200 million tonnes of iron ore in a single year.
The miner said that this landmark event is the “first in its history”, bringing the total ore shipped to date to more than 2.5 billion tonnes.
Fortescue Metals chief executive officer Dino Otranto said that two decades ago, there were questions about its goals being too “ambitious”.
“We’ve been proving them wrong ever since, and now we’re setting new records,” he said.
“We have delivered huge value to shareholders, opened up the Pilbara and built one of Australia’s greatest business success stories.
The first shipment left Port Hedland in Western Australia in May 2008, and in that first year, Fortescue recorded 140 vessels delivering iron ore.
As of today, more than 1000 ore carriers leave the port through its three ship loaders every year.
In February 2026, Fortescue laid one of the many foundations for this breakthrough number, delivering record first-half iron ore shipments through strong operational momentum in its half-year results to December 31, 2025.
It shipped 100.2 million tonnes of iron ore during the period, with ore mined rising to 121.6 million tonnes, and ore processed increasing by two per cent to 100.7 million tonnes.
Otranto said that it had been a “standout first half” of the financial year.
“By removing diesel from its operations, we’re structurally improving our cost position.
“The more diesel we eliminate, the less exposure we have to price volatility, and the stronger and more predictable our margins become.”
As part of the original team that loaded Fortescue’s first shipment, Will Lockyer from port operations said that this 200-million-tonne milestone is a reflection of years of hard work from people throughout the business.
“Over two decades, we’ve seen technology advance, and our operations become stronger, but what hasn’t changed is the people who’ve grown alongside the business,” he said.
“It’s impressive to see just how far we’ve come, not just with the tonnes we’ve shipped, but as a team.”
From the perspective of Fortescue’s director of integrated operations, Katie Charuga said the wider team could not be prouder of the record’s significance.
“Every tonne mined, processed, railed, and shipped depends on our Fortescue family working safely together to deliver to our customers,” Charuga said.
On land, Fortescue continues to work towards its Real Zero decarbonisation strategy, commencing the construction of a 690-megawatt solar farm at the Turner River in the Pilbara, and a 65-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system at Cloudbreak, both in late May.
Otranto said that moving forward, backed by 20,000 people, the 200 million tonnes shipped is a “testament” to the dedication and contribution of the teams throughout the business.
“We’ve come a long way, and we’re not slowing down,” he said.