Australia's mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd has won the approval from the Western Australian (WA) government for its multi-billion dollar iron ore expansion in the state's Pilbara region, WA Premier Colin Barnett said on Thursday.
The 3.9 billion Australian dollars (3.9 billion U.S. dollars) expansion would boost Rio Tinto's Pilbara iron ore capacity by more than 50 percent to potentially more than 300 million tonnes a year, Barnett said in a statement.
The premier has approved early works for the project, which is centered on the expansion of the Cape Lambert port facilities to include an additional 1.8 kilometer jetty and four-berth wharf, which will support a two-stage increase in capacity.
"This marks the beginning of the next stage for the Pilbara region where companies are able to maximize their efficiencies across mines, ports and infrastructure," Barnett said.
He said Rio Tinto's expansion would deliver a massive boost to WA's iron ore industry and would allow the company to undertake the biggest mining project yet in Australia.
Rio Tinto has committed 1 billion U.S. dollars in funding to undertake early works for the project, which will commence immediately and include dredging, marine works such as jetty pile driving and an extension of the existing Cape Lambert construction camp.
