On June 12, the world's largest steel producer
ArcelorMittal announced that it is ramping up its
iron ore mining operations in
Liberia to commence phase two of its operations during which it will ship 15 million metric tons of
iron ore per year. Under phase I of its operations,
ArcelorMittal shipped 5 million metric tons of
iron ore per year, although this target was surpassed in 2013 with 5,173,000 mt.
ArcelorMittal Liberia said that it has invested more than US$1 billion in its operations in the country to date, dividing the project into two phases. Phase one is the direct shipping ore phase (DSO), during which the ore is mined and either shipped to
ArcelorMittal's European steel plants or to the open market in Asia. Phase two of operations will see the installation of a fixed ship loader at the port in Buchanan, and the building of a concentrator at Tokadeh.
The purpose of the concentrator plant is to improve the iron (Fe) content of the
iron ore. Currently, the DSO operation does not require a concentrator because of its high Fe content of 65 percent. Phase two will involve the
mining of a lower grade ore with a Fe content of 45 percent; the concentrator plant will be used to improve the
iron ore grade from the low 45 percent Fe content to a higher content of 65 percent. Phase two is expected to run between 2015 and 2030 with increased levels of mine productivity each year.
Phase two is expected to run between 2015 and 2030 with increased levels of mine productivity each year.