At a ceremony in Forécariah prefecture, Mamady Doumbouya, president of the Republic of Guinea, joined project partners Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) and SimFer to mark the start of operations at Simandou, Africa’s largest integrated mining and infrastructure project, according to a press release by Australia-based miner Rio Tinto.
The project involves construction of more than 600 kilometers of a new multi-use trans-Guinean rail, connecting the southeastern mining concessions to newly built barge and transhipment vessel port facilities on the Atlantic coast. Once the system is fully commissioned and ramped up, SimFer and WCS will jointly export up to 120 million mt of iron ore annually from their respective concessions, transforming Guinea into a major global supplier of premium-grade iron ore.
First barge loaded and testing phase
The first barge operated by Winning set sail from Morebaya port, carrying 9,850 mt of iron ore destined for transhipment onto the bulk carrier Winning Youth. This voyage officially marked Simandou’s entry into the global market.
Comprehensive testing and commissioning of the mine, rail, and port systems are underway, stated Rio Tinto. Both WCS and SimFer have started transporting iron ore from the mine site to the port via the trans-Guinean railway, a milestone that demonstrates operational readiness across the entire logistics chain.
Ownership and operational framework
The Simandou project is co-developed by the Government of Guinea, SimFer and WCS. Once commercial operations begin, all co-developed infrastructure - including the railway, rolling stock, and port assets - will be transferred to and operated by Compagnie du TransGuinéen (CTG), the joint venture established by the parties.