Rio Tinto says it’ll start early works and conduct last engineering research to extend manufacturing capability on the Amrun bauxite mine on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, aiming for first output as early as 2029.
The mission, named Kangwinan on the request of Conventional House owners, the Wik Waya individuals, will contain constructing a brand new mine and increasing the present port to virtually double bauxite manufacturing from Rio Tinto’s Weipa Southern operations, the place Amrun is positioned.
Manufacturing from the Kangwinan mission would change output from the Andoom mine in Cape York and the Gove mine within the Northern Territory, that are each anticipated to shut towards the top of the present decade.
Rio Tinto Pacific Operations Aluminium Managing Director, Armando Torres, stated: “This feasibility research will discover a brand new bauxite operation at our Weipa Operations and represents a powerful vote of confidence within the world-class bauxite deposits on the Western Cape York Peninsula, our bauxite operations and the local people.
“It’s an vital step towards securing the long-term way forward for our operations at Cape York, and the advantages that mining brings to communities within the area, whereas making certain safety of provide to our Australian refineries and to our prospects.”
If accredited, the mission will set up a mining centre 15 km southeast of Amrun, which was constructed at a price of $1.9 billion and opened in 2018. The proposed enlargement would improve annual bauxite manufacturing capability from Rio Tinto’s Weipa Southern operations, by as much as 20 Mt, along with the present 23 Mt, and increase export capability by the Amrun port. This might largely change the tonnages misplaced when Gove and Andoom come to the top of their mine lives.
Amrun itself hit its nameplate capability of twenty-two.8 Mt for the primary time final 12 months, within the course of breaking month-to-month bauxite manufacturing information on three events.
Kangwinan will generate greater than 800 jobs in building and would keep the workforce presently employed at Weipa’s mines slated for closure, Rio Tinto says.
The accredited early works embrace constructing a 250-room camp at Amrun Village to accommodate building employees and growing an preliminary entry highway to the Kangwinan space.
A last funding choice is due in 2026, topic to cultural heritage session with Conventional House owners, finishing engineering, cultural heritage and surroundings research, in addition to securing regulatory and different approvals.
Rio Tinto operates an built-in aluminium worth chain in Australia and New Zealand which begins with bauxite mined at Weipa, refined into alumina at Gladstone, Queensland then changed into aluminium at smelters in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and New Zealand. Firms now owned by Rio Tinto started bauxite mining in Cape York, Queensland in 1963. The present mines provide Rio Tinto Aluminium’s Yarwun and QAL refineries and export prospects in China.
