According to Mining.com, the Simandou iron ore complex, Africa's largest greenfield mine and infrastructure integration project, has commenced operations. Simandou Mountain hosts the world's largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit.
On Tuesday, the President of Guinea, along with representatives from project partners Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS), Baowu, Aluminum Corp of China, and Rio Tinto, attended the commissioning ceremony at the port of Morebaya in the prefecture of Forécariah, marking the official start of the project.
Simandou is one of the world's major projects in recent decades. Located in the mountainous region of southern Guinea, it had been stalled for many years.
The project is currently delivering a new multipurpose railway spanning over 600 kilometers across Guinea, along with barge and transshipment port facilities.
Rio Tinto stated in a press release that once fully operational, this infrastructure will enable Simandou Iron Ore Company (SimFer) and WCS to export iron ore from their respective mines, with a combined annual capacity of up to 120 million mt.
The mine, railway, and barge port infrastructure are undergoing testing and commissioning. Both WCS and SimFer have begun transporting iron ore from the mine gates to the port via the Trans-Guinean railway.
The project is being developed jointly by the Guinean government, SimFer, and WCS. Once operational, all co-developed infrastructure and rolling stock will be transferred to Compagnie du TransGuinéen (CTG) for operation. SimFer and WCS will each hold a 42.5% stake in CTG, with the remaining 15% held by the Guinean government.
Djiba Diakité, Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Republic of Guinea and Chairman of the Simandou 2040 Strategic Committee, stated in his address: "Simandou is not just a mining project; it is a powerful engine for national transformation."
"This collective achievement reflects the vision of the Head of State and the entire nation's firm commitment to building a shared prosperous future," Diakité said. "This commissioning ceremony marks a significant milestone in Guinea's development journey and establishes Guinea as a key player in sustainable development and economic autonomy in West Africa."
Rio Tinto CEO Simon Trott said: "This outstanding achievement is the result of the hard work of thousands of our colleagues and the mutual support and professional collaboration with our SimFer partners, the Guinean government, and WCS."
"Today we are opening an exceptional high-grade iron ore mine that will not only meet customer demand for low-carbon steelmaking but also further strengthen our world-class iron ore assets in the Pilbara and Canada."
WCS is a consortium comprising Winning International Group, Weiqiao Aluminum (affiliated with China Weiqiao Group), United Mining Suppliers (collectively holding 51%), and Baowu Group (holding 49%).
The SimFer joint venture includes Simfer S.A., which holds Blocks 3 and 4 of the southern Simandou site, with the Guinean government and SimFer Jersey Ltd. holding 15% and 85%, respectively.
SimFer Jersey Ltd. is a joint venture between Rio Tinto Group (53%) and Chalco Iron Ore (47%).
Chalco Iron Ore is a consortium led by Chalco Group (75%), with other participating companies including China Baowu (20%), China Railway Construction Corporation (2.5%), and China Harbour Engineering Company (2.5%).
The project is located in southeastern Guinea and is divided into four blocks. Blocks 1 and 2 are held by WCS, while Rio Tinto and Chalco hold Blocks 3 and 4.
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