Rio Tinto and Baowu Join Hands with Inhawanka Traditional Landowners to Announce Commissioning of Western Range Iron Ore Project in Pilbara

According to Rio Tinto Group: Rio Tinto Group has announced the official commissioning of its latest iron ore project, the Western Range iron ore project. Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, Australian Federal Minister for Resources Madeleine King, traditional landowners from the Yinhawangka people, and senior executives from Rio Tinto Group and its joint venture partner, China Baowu Steel Group, jointly witnessed this significant milestone.

Western Range iron ore project:

It has a designed annual capacity of 25 million mt;

It will provide a 20-year resource guarantee for the Paraburdoo mining hub;

With a total investment of $2 billion, it is a joint venture development between Rio Tinto (54% stake) and China Baowu (46% stake);

The project construction includes a primary crushing station and an 18-kilometer conveyor system connecting it to the existing beneficiation plant in Paraburdoo;

The new mine will provide stable employment for over 880 permanent and fly-in-fly-out employees at Paraburdoo;

Meanwhile, the Western Range iron ore project will not only support the sustainable development of Paraburdoo town but also further promote the economic development of Western Australia and Australia through royalties and related taxes.

Robyn Hayden (née Tommy), Chairperson of the Board of the Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation, attended the commissioning ceremony alongside several traditional landowners from the Yinhawangka people. Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, Australian Federal Minister for Resources Madeleine King, China Baowu Group Chairman Hu Wangming, Baowu Resources Chairman Shi Bing, Rio Tinto Group CEO Jakob Stausholm, Rio Tinto Group Iron Ore CEO Simon Trott, as well as government and joint venture company representatives, also attended this important event.

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook stated: The commissioning of the Western Range iron ore project is a significant milestone with great importance for the economic development of Western Australia. Our government will continue to support the development of the resources industry, as it not only creates high-quality jobs for the people of Western Australia but also safeguards our standard of living.

Australian Federal Minister for Resources Madeleine King stated: The commissioning of the Western Range iron ore project is exciting news for the Pilbara region, Western Australia, traditional landowners, and the entire nation. The Pilbara is the engine of Australia's economy, and projects like Western Range will ensure that this engine continues to drive Australia's future.

The Western Range iron ore project is Rio Tinto's first project to jointly design a Social, Cultural, and Heritage Management Plan (SCHMP) with the traditional landowners of the Yinhawangka people. In accordance with the Social, Cultural and Heritage Management Plan agreed with the Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation in 2022, the Western Range iron ore project has been designed and developed with the protection of significant local cultural and heritage values at its core.

Robyn Hayden, Chair of the Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation, said, "For the Yinhawangka people, the land means everything—it holds our spirits, our laws, and the responsibility to protect it passed down through generations. The commencement of production at Western Range marks a shift in how our cultural heritage is recognized and respected. We acknowledge Rio Tinto's efforts to change the way they interact with us and the actions they have taken to build a stronger and more transparent partnership. This is a profound starting point—we are ready to work together."

The partnership between Rio Tinto and Baowu in the Pilbara region dates back to 2002, when the two parties established the Bao-Hl Joint Venture to jointly develop the East Range iron ore project in the Hamersley Ranges.

Hu Wangming, Chairman of Baowu Group, said, "The success of the Western Range project is not only a milestone in China-Australia resource cooperation but also a vivid portrayal of multi-party collaboration and overcoming difficulties. The Western Range project is not only a core fulcrum in the global resource layout of China Baowu and Rio Tinto Group but also a model project for China-Australia economic and trade cooperation. Baowu and Rio Tinto's exploration in areas such as green and low-carbon development and collaborative innovation has not only set a benchmark for the industry but also contributed wisdom and strength to the sustainable development of global resources. We are willing to work hand in hand with the Western Australian government, Indigenous communities, and partners from all walks of life to build an inclusive and sustainable cooperation ecosystem. We will also continue to fulfill our corporate responsibilities, drive industrial upgrading through technological innovation, and inject new momentum into regional prosperity and the stability of the global industry chain."

Jakob Stausholm, CEO of Rio Tinto Group, said, "The commencement of production at Western Range is an important step in extending Rio Tinto's mining layout in the Pilbara region and also brings longer-term development prospects to Paraburdoo, one of our earliest mining centers, which has been in operation since 1972. I am particularly proud of our collaboration with the Yinhawangka people on the Western Range project, and we will continue to maintain close cooperation in the future. Our partnership with Baowu ensures that our largest customer can directly benefit from a stable and exclusive supply of Rio Tinto's world-leading Pilbara Blend ore."

The first batch of ore was processed through the production system of the Western Range project by the end of March this year.