Australia’s iron ore heartland is set for another major injection of investment, with Rio Tinto and its Robe River Joint Venture partners Mitsui and Nippon Steel committing $US733 million ($1.1 billion) to sustain operations at the West Angelas iron ore hub in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
The investment, $389 million ($587.7 million) of which is coming from Rio Tinto – will fund the development of new deposits that will maintain West Angelas’ annual production capacity of 35 million tonnes. The project has now secured all necessary state and federal approvals and will extend the life of one of the Pilbara’s most important iron ore operations.
“The West Angelas Sustaining Project is built on strong and committed partnerships, both with the joint venture members Mitsui and Nippon Steel, as well as the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga peoples,” Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Matthew Holcz said.
“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.”
The project will create around 600 jobs during construction, helping to sustain a workforce of about 950 full-time equivalent roles once operational. First ore is expected in 2027, with material from the new deposits to be autonomously hauled to the existing West Angelas processing facilities.
Rio Tinto has also worked closely with Traditional Owners, the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga peoples, to co-design social cultural heritage management plans, designed to ensure protection of cultural heritage and the environment throughout the development.
The West Angelas Sustaining Project will make use of existing processing infrastructure while adding 22km of new haul roads and new non-process infrastructure precincts. It forms part of Rio Tinto’s broader tranche of replacement projects in the Pilbara, collectively underpinned by a production capacity of about 130 million tonnes per annum.
Established in 1972, the Robe River Joint Venture – comprising Rio Tinto (53%), Mitsui Iron Ore (33%) and Nippon Steel (14%) – remains a cornerstone of Western Australia’s resources economy. As work progresses on Rio Tinto’s next-generation Rhodes Ridge project, this new investment signals continuing confidence in the Pilbara’s global role as a premier supplier of high-grade iron ore.
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