Mineral Resources (MinRes) has delivered first ore on ship ahead of schedule from its Onslow Iron project, unlocking a new iron ore mining region for Australia.
Two transhippers, MinRes Coolibah and MinRes Airlie, are currently loading 113,000 tonnes of iron ore aboard a bulk carrier anchored 40km off the Port of Ashburton.
Onslow Iron’s first shipment will soon depart to China for delivery to China Baowu Steel Group, the world’s largest steelmaker and a project joint venture partner.
The milestone was achieved just 11 months after ground was broken at the Ken’s Bore mine site, located 150km east of Onslow.
MinRes designed, built and is managing the innovative mining and transport infrastructure unlocking stranded iron ore deposits in the West Pilbara that would otherwise remain undeveloped.
Onslow Iron is MinRes’ flagship $3 billion project, leading the company’s transition to low-cost, long-life iron ore operations.
MinRes Managing Director Chris Ellison said the historic moment cements our position as Australia’s leading commodity infrastructure business.
“We have unlocked a whole new iron ore region for Australia while Onslow Iron is a game-changer for MinRes as we transition to low-cost, long-life operations,” Chris said.
“This project was stranded for more than a decade. In 2021, MinRes breathed new life into it and in less than three years we have planned, designed and have now delivered first ore on ship ahead of time and on budget.”
Chris said it is an extraordinary display of the unique capability of MinRes’ infrastructure and mining services, and the the ingenuity of our unmatched in-house engineering and construction workforce.
“There is no other company that could have delivered an operation of this size in such little time. The achievement is a testament to the professionalism and can-do attitude of the more than 3,000 people who worked on Onslow Iron,” he added.
“I want to thank everyone who brought our vision to life, including joint venture partners Baowu, AMCI and POSCO, our Traditional Owner partners – the Thalanyji and Robe River Kuruma peoples – and the wider Onslow community.”
Onslow Iron will ship 35 million tonnes a year, with an expected mine life of more than 30 years.
For full details, please refer to the ASX announcement.
