Simandou Iron Ore Project Hits Milestone With First Rail Shipment
Listen to the full version
The massive Simandou iron ore project in Guinea has reached a pivotal stage, with the country’s first cross-country railway beginning trial operations and the initial loads of ore being transported from the remote mine site to the coast.
Rio Tinto Group, a major stakeholder in the project, announced in its third-quarter production update on Tuesday that it had commenced loading iron ore at the Simandou mine earlier this month. The ore is being transported via the newly constructed Trans-Guinea Railway to a port on the western coast. The news followed an Oct. 11 disclosure from Baowu Resources, a subsidiary of China Baowu Steel Group Corp., stating that the first engineering train had begun operating along the railway.
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
- RELATED
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
- Simandou in Guinea, the world’s largest untapped iron ore deposit (4.4B tons, 65.5% Fe), began trial ore shipments via a new $8.8B railway; full operation is expected by H1 2028.
- The project, costing over $20B, is led by Rio Tinto and China’s Baowu; it will supply 120M tons/year, nearly 7.5% of global seaborne trade.
- Market sentiment is shifting, with high-grade Simandou ore expected to pressure prices and high-cost producers.
- Rio Tinto Group
- Rio Tinto Group, a major stakeholder in the Simandou iron ore project, announced the loading of iron ore at the mine in its third-quarter production update. The ore is being transported via the new Trans-Guinea Railway to a coastal port, with shipments expected to China by November. Rio Tinto acquired exploration rights in 1997, and the project is expected to reach full output by the first half of 2028.
- Baowu Resources
- Baowu Resources, a subsidiary of China Baowu Steel Group Corp., disclosed on October 11 that the first engineering train began operating along the Trans-Guinea Railway. This railway is transporting iron ore from the Simandou mine to a port on Guinea's western coast.
- China Baowu Steel Group Corp.
- China Baowu Steel Group Corp. (via its subsidiary Baowu Resources) disclosed that the first engineering train for the Simandou project's Trans-Guinea Railway began operations on October 11. This signifies their involvement and contribution to the project's infrastructure development and ore transportation.
- 1997：
- Rio Tinto initially acquired exploration rights for the Simandou project.
- 2019：
- Chinese-backed Winning Consortium Simandou joined the Simandou project.
- July 2024：
- A breakthrough agreement on infrastructure funding for the project was finalized.
- mid-September 2025：
- Iron ore extraction began at the Simandou mine.
- October 11, 2025：
- Baowu Resources announced that the first engineering train began operating along the Trans-Guinea Railway.
- PODCAST
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新