In a move to sustain the production capacity of its iron ore business in Western Australia's Pilbara region, Rio Tinto has approved a $1 billion investment for its Greater Tom Price operations.
The billion-dollar investment for the Western Turner Syncline Phase 2 project will facilitate the mining activities at existing and new deposits. The funding will also cover the construction of a new crusher and a 13-kilometre conveyor.
The new conveyor system will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the mining operations by up to 3.5 per cent in comparison to road haulage.
“Production of high-quality Brockman ore will support the company’s flagship Pilbara Blend, which continues to be the preferred baseload product for China’s steel mills,” Rio Tinto stated.
Construction is anticipated to commence in the first quarter of 2020 and the first ore from the crushers is expected in 2021.
The construction workforce for the development of the Western Turner Syncline Phase 2 project is expected to have more than 1,000 people during peak construction.
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Source: Reuters; Australian Mining; News.com.au