https://www.miningweekly.com

Rio Tinto pumps $1.9bn into Queensland bauxite project

Rio Tinto pumps $1.9bn into Queensland bauxite project

Photo by Bloombeg

27th November 2015

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

  

Font size: - +

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Mining giant Rio Tinto on Friday announced a $1.9-billion investment into its Amrun bauxite project, in Queensland’s Cape York.

The miner reported that the project would involve the construction of a bauxite mine and associated processing and port facilities on the Cape York peninsula in north Queensland.

The mine, which was previously known as South of Embley, was initially planned to produce about 22.8-million tonnes a year, replacing production from the depleting East Weipa mine and increasing bauxite exports from Cape York by about 10-million tonnes a year.

The project’s design provided options for future expansion to 50-million tonnes a year.

Production and shipping were expected to start in the first half of 2019, ramping up to full production by the end of the year.

CEO Sam Walsh said that the Amrun project was one of the highest quality bauxite projects in the world.

“In addition to generating attractive returns, with mining costs in the first quartile of the industry cost curve, it will provide jobs and strengthen the economy for the people of Cape York and Queensland for many decades.

“This long-life, low-cost, expandable asset offers a wide variety of development options and pathways over the coming decades. We are establishing Cape York bauxite as the product of choice for the Chinese seaborne market with consistent quality, security of supply and strong technical marketing support. Amrun will be significant in helping to meet growing bauxite demand from China,” Walsh said.

The Amrun project is about 40 km south of Rio’s existing East Weipa and Andoom mines on the Cape York peninsula.

At its peak, construction of the project is expected to provide work for about 1 100 people. Once operational, Amrun would help to support ongoing employment for the existing workforce of about 1 400 employees and contractors at Rio Tinto’s Cape York bauxite operations.

The majority of capital expenditure for the Amrun project was scheduled for 2017 and 2018.

The Queensland Resources Council has been quick to welcome the investment, saying the project was a massive boost for the resources sector and could inject about A$1.5-billion into the Queensland economy.

Edited by Mariaan Webb
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

Projects

Image of lithium ore
Bougouni lithium project, Mali – update
Updated 2 hours 17 minutes ago By: Sheila Barradas

Showroom

Showroom image
Alcohol Breathalysers

Supplier & Distributor of the Widest Range of Accurate & Easy-to-Use Alcohol Breathalysers

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Goodwin Submersible Pumps Africa (Pty) Ltd
Goodwin Submersible Pumps Africa (Pty) Ltd

Goodwin Submersible Pumps Africa is sole distributors for Goodwin electrically driven, submersible, abrasion resistance slurry pumps.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
27th March 2024
Resources Watch
Resources Watch
27th March 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.106 0.139s - 88pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now