【Ferro-alloys.com】:Australian miner Mineral Resources (MinRes) has delivered the inaugural ore shipment from the Onslow Iron project to China Baowu Steel Group, outpacing expectations with an early arrival.

The company highlighted in a statement on Tuesday the milestone, stating that two MinRes transhippers were loading about 113 000 wet metric tonnes of iron-ore onto a bulk carrier anchored 40 km off the Port of Ashburton.

Located in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia, the Ken’s Bore deposit, in the Robe River Kuruma territory, is a collaborative effort between MinRes and Boawu, AMCI and Posco. The joint venture represents a strategic move to unlock previously inaccessible iron-ore deposits, showcasing innovative mining and transport infrastructure management by MinRes.

“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.

“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,” said MD Chris Ellison.

Looking ahead, the Onslow Iron project is targeting nameplate capacity of 35-million tonnes a year by June 2025. The completion of project infrastructure, including the dedicated haul road, is scheduled for the second half of 2024.

Up to 1 600 operational roles are forecast at the peak of the ramp-up.

• [Editor:Alakay]