Posted on 08 Oct 2025
A joint venture led by Rio Tinto, Mitsui, and Nippon Steel is moving forward with a $733 million investment in the West Angelas Sustaining Project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region after securing final government approvals, Kallanish notes.
Rio Tinto, which is contributing $389m, says in a statement that the investment aims to develop new iron ore deposits and maintain West Angelas hub’s total annual production capacity of 35 million tonnes, extending mining activity for years to come.
"Securing these approvals ensures ongoing investment in the hub as we continue to supply high-quality, reliable iron ore to meet our global customers' demand now and into the future," says Matthew Holcz, Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive.
The project will leverage the hub's existing processing infrastructure and involves constructing new non-process precincts and 22km of haul roads.
Ore from the new deposits will be autonomously trucked to the hub, with first production scheduled for 2027.
The West Angelas development is part of a larger tranche of replacement projects totalling about 130mt/year capacity that underline Rio Tinto's long-term commitment to the Pilbara.
Separately, the company noted it is advancing the pre-feasibility study for Rhodes Ridge, a major undeveloped iron ore deposit targeting an initial capacity of up to 40mt/y and first ore by 2030.
Source:Kallanish
