Beijing-based state-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) has announced that it will commence work on its Cape Lambert iron ore project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia from the middle of 2012, while it expects the project to enter production before 2015.
According to its project plan, MCC will initially mine 55 million mt per year of low-grade magnetite, processing it into magnetite concentrate with an annual output volume of 15 million mt. Meanwhile, MCC expects that the annual output capacity of magnetite concentrate will eventually reach 25 million mt and that exploitation of the Cape Lambert project can continue for about 25 years. In addition, MCC will build a 300 megawatt natural gas power plant and a desalination plant as parts of the project.