Rio Tinto has approved $146 million in funding to undertake initial work at the Koodaideri iron ore project, located approximately 110 kilometres from Newman in Western Australia.
The funds will be invested in detailed engineering work on key elements of the project, such as the development of a rail construction camp along with the first stage of the Koodaideri accommodation camp.
Koodaideri will be Rio Tinto’s first intelligent mine (subject to approvals), incorporating the latest in high-tech advances in the industry and utilising an increased level of automation and robotics. The project will be a large-scale, low cost development which will become a new production hub for Rio Tinto in the Pilbara that will last for decades to come.
Pending approval, construction is scheduled to occur in 2019, with first production expected in 2021. It has been forecast that the project will create over 2,000 jobs during construction and approximately 600 permanent operational roles.
“This is an important step for our Koodaideri project which will be a significant leap forward for the global mining industry and Rio Tinto,” announced Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore Chief Executive, Chris Salisbury earlier this morning.
“We’ve been building mines in the Pilbara for over 50 years, and, subject to final approvals, Koodaideri will incorporate all of that knowledge to enable us to build the smartest, safest and most efficient mine we’ve ever constructed. The deployment of leading edge technology will deliver a step-change in both safety and productivity for our business.”