Located approximately 150 km from the Ken’s Bore mine site in the West Pilbara, the port is a critical link in Onslow Iron’s supply chain, where iron ore is loaded onto purpose-built 20,000-tonne transhippers for transfer to bulk carriers offshore.
Site infrastructure includes a 14MW gas-fired power station now connected to the Wheatstone Ashburton West Gas Pipeline, enabling the complete transition from diesel to natural gas for port operations.
The move will reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly while streamlining operations by removing the need for extensive diesel logistics and handling.
It also builds on MinRes’ broader energy efficiency strategy at Onslow Iron, which has the capacity to displace approximately 60 million litres of diesel every year for power generation at the Port.
MinRes Power Station Operations Manager Gary Stevens leads the power station operations and commended the team for bringing the gas plant online.
“The introduction of a gas-fired power station at the port represents a major step towards delivering cleaner and more sustainable mining and export infrastructure,” Gary said.
“Bringing something of this scale together and operational is a huge piece of work and couldn’t be done without the team’s dedication, diligence and expertise.”
MinRes General Manager Operations and Development Rowan Hill highlighted the company’s commitment to sustainability and alternative energy solutions.
“We consider clean energy critical to the sustainability of our industry and the communities where we operate,” Rowan said.
“We’re continually exploring ways to reduce emissions across our operations and by connecting the port to the gas lateral, we’re reducing our diesel consumption and taking another positive step towards more cost-effective and cleaner operations.”
The adoption of gas-powered infrastructure at the Onslow Port also aligns with MinRes’ ongoing investment in greener technologies, supporting both operational efficiency and environmental responsibility.
Onslow Iron harnesses MinRes innovation and expertise to unlock stranded deposits in the West Pilbara region.
In May 2024, the project delivered first ore on ship ahead of schedule and in August 2025 safely and efficiently ramped-up production to nameplate capacity of 35 million tonnes per year.
Learn more about the MinRes Energy team.
