According to Reuters, Chinese steel producer Baowu Resources has taken control of the operator of Guinea’s Simandou Blocks 1 and 2 after increasing its stake in the Winning Consortium Simandou to 51 percent from 49 percent.
Reuters has reported that, following the transaction, the Singapore-registered parent company and its Guinean unit were renamed Baowu Winning Consortium Simandou (BWCS).
In the southern Simandou Blocks 3 and 4, Chinese state-owned groups hold stakes through a joint venture led by Chinalco, alongside Rio Tinto and the Guinean state under the Simfer partnership.
Baowu stated that the transaction confirms its long-term industrial and strategic commitment to “one of the world’s most significant integrated mining and infrastructure projects.” The company added that it will pursue project competitiveness, promote local content and comply with internationally recognized ESG standards.
At full operational capacity, Simandou’s two mining hubs are designed to ship up to 120 million metric tons of high-grade iron ore annually through the shared railway and Atlantic port infrastructure. Once fully ramped up, the project is expected to position Guinea as a key global iron ore supplier alongside Australia and Brazil.