Rio Tinto invests US$310M in Pilbara

摘要

Rio Tinto will invest US$310M to assure a sustainable water supply for its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, ensuring a sufficient resource to accommodate the expansion of annual production capacity up to the planned 333 mt. The coastal water supply project, which involves construction of a new borefield and pipeline system, will be completed by mid-2013, coincid-ing with the first ore from the planned increase in production capacity to 283 mtpa. Rio Tinto will build, own and operate the new borefield, located in the lower Bungaroo Valley, with an annual capacity of 10 gigalitres. Under the proposal, which has been agreed in principle with the Government of Western Australia, Rio Tinto will surrender its existing priority entitlements to the Mill-stream water supply, the system Rio Tinto constructed and financed 40 years ago. In return, the Government has agreed to amendments to secondary processing obligations.