The Robe River Joint Venture consortium, comprised of Rio Tinto (53%), Mitsui (33%) and Nippon Steel (14%), announced a joint investment of US$733 million in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The objective: to extend the life of the West Angelas mining center by developing new iron ore deposits.
This expansion will maintain annual production capacity of 35 million tons, a key volume to meet global demand. The work includes the construction of roads, infrastructure areas and integration with the processing facilities already in operation. In addition, autonomous trucks will be incorporated to transport the extracted ore to the logistics center.
Impact of investment in West Angelas and local employment
The first ore is scheduled to be mined in 2027. In the meantime, approximately 600 jobs will be generated during the construction phase. Once in operation, the project will contribute to sustaining a workforce of 950 full-time equivalent positions at the West Angelas complex.
The initiative is part of its plan to replace mature mines, ensuring stable production in the Pilbara for several years. This plan contemplates a total combined capacity of 130 million tons per year between several projects.
Community involvement and sustainability
The project was developed in coordination with the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga peoples, with whom management plans were designed to protect the cultural and environmental heritage of the area. This collaboration was key to obtaining the state and federal approvals that now allow the project to move forward.
At the same time, the pre-feasibility study of the Rhodes Ridge deposit, considered one of the world’s largest iron ore deposits, continues. of the world’s largest undeveloped deposits in the world. It is estimated that it could reach an initial capacity of 40 million tons per year by 2030.
The commitment of the companies involved reaffirms the strategic importance of iron ore. Australian iron ore and the Pilbara Australian iron ore and the Pilbara as a key logistics hub for global sourcing.
Source: Rio Tinto
Photo: Shutterstock
