Posted on 19 Oct 2022
Australian miner Rio Tinto plans to modernise and develop the Rhodes Ridge project at East Pilbara in Western Australia with its partner Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd.
The two companies own a 50:50 joint venture which controls the Rhodes Ridge project, Kallanish notes. The participants have commenced an Order of Magnitude study, conducted by Rio Tinto, which will consider the development of an operation before the end of the decade with initial plant capacity of up to 40 million tonnes/year, subject to the receipt of relevant approvals, the miner says.
Rhodes Ridge contains 5.8 billion tonnes (on a 100% basis, as dry in-situ tonnes) of high grade mineral resources at an average grade of 62.3% Fe. The project's total resource, 6.7 billion tonnes at an average grade of 61.6% Fe, represents approximately one-third of Rio Tinto's existing resource base in the Pilbara.
The JV company will utilise Rio Tinto's existing rail, port and power infrastructure, including the planned installation of 1 gigawatt of renewable power assets in the Pilbara.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Simon Trott, said, "With its significant resource base, the Rhodes Ridge project has the potential to underpin production of the Pilbara Blend in the decades ahead."
Source:Kallanish
