Rio Tinto, Mitsui Group and Nippon Steel greenlight $1.1b Pilbara mine expansion after government approvalDerek RoseAAPTue, 7 October 2025 1:09PMCommentsComments
Rio Tinto and its Japanese partners will invest $US733 million ($A1.1 billion) to develop new iron ore deposits in the Pilbara.
Rio Tinto, Mitsui Group and Nippon Steel said on Tuesday they would move forward with the West Angelas Sustaining Project after it received all necessary state and federal government approvals.
The mining giant said the project would create 600 jobs during construction and a workforce of about 950 full-time equivalent roles at the West Angelas hub once the project goes into operation in 2027.
Rio Tinto said it had worked closely with the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga peoples to ensure the ongoing protection and management of the area’s cultural heritage and environment.
The Robe River Joint Venture dates back to 1972, with the West Angelas hub an integral part of Rio Tinto’s iron ore operations since 2002.
Rio Tinto said the sustaining project would maintain West Angelas hub’s total annual production capacity of 35 million tonnes, extending mining activity there for years to come.
More than 22km of new haul roads will be created during the construction project, and ore mined at the new deposit will be autonomously trucked to the West Angelas hub.
Rio Tinto said it was also moving forward on a pre-feasibility study for its Rhodes Ridge iron ore project in the Pilbara, which is one of the world’s biggest and highest-quality undeveloped iron ore deposits.
First ore on that development is targeted by 2030.
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