Rio Tinto’s integrated Pilbara power and gas network will be upgraded with a US$520 million investment and a further US$313 million will be allocated to fuel infrastructure facilities. The projects are needed to support annual production capacity of 283 million tonnes (Mt/a), a milestone Rio Tinto has targeted for 2013. The fuel infrastructure project will also help support the next phase of potential expansion, to 333 Mt/a in 2015.
Sam Walsh, chief executive Iron Ore and Australia said “This investment marks yet another significant step towards the expansion of iron ore production by 50 per cent in the five years to 2015, a timeline we recently brought forward by six months. These projects provide certainty in meeting our power and fuel supply requirements, both now and into the future.”
Power infrastructure
A US$520 million (Rio Tinto share US$417 million) upgrade of the integrated power and gas network will deliver an additional 120MW to sustain the current 230Mt/a capacity and support expansion to 283Mt/a.
Two 40MW open-cycle gas turbines will be installed as part of a new power station near the West Angelas mine site and a 40MW open-cycle gas turbine will be built at the existing Yurralyi Maya Power Station near Dampier.
The investment also provides for associated power infrastructure such as substations, gas pipelines and transformers.