Australia-based miner Rio Tinto has announced that, together with joint-venture partners Japan-based Mitsui & Co. and Nippon Steel, it will invest $733 million to develop new iron-ore deposits at the West Angelas hub, part of the long-running Robe River Joint Venture in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Rio Tinto’s investment share will be $389 million.
The project has now received full state and federal approvals and will maintain the hub’s annual 35 million mt capacity, extending its life for years to come. Construction of non-process infrastructure precincts and 22 km of haul roads will begin soon, with first ore targeted for 2027. Ore will be autonomously trucked to the existing West Angelas processing facilities.
About 600 jobs will be created during construction and the project will sustain around 950 full-time positions once operational.
The Robe River JV - comprising Rio Tinto (53 percent), Mitsui Iron Ore (33 percent) and Nippon Steel (14 percent) - operates mines in the Robe Valley.