Rio Tinto invests $310 million for Pilbara water project

Australian miner Rio Tinto has announced that it will invest US$310 million for a sustainable water supply for its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, ensuring a sufficient resource to accommodate the expansion of annual production capacity up to the planned 333 million mt.
 
The coastal water supply project, which involves construction of a new borefield and pipeline system, will be completed by mid-2013, coinciding with the first ore from the planned increase in production capacity to 283 million mt per year.
 
"The decision is a major boost to our operational capability and an important investment to support our Pilbara expansion. We will ensure the future reliability of our water supply without any interruption to current operations," said Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Sam Walsh.