Fortescue is expected to begin building its $US2 billion ($3.1 billion) Australian iron ore mine and rail project within three years.
According to regulatory filings made to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (WA EPA), Fortescue Metals Group’s (FMG) subsidiary Chichester Metals proposes to develop and operate an iron ore mine approximately 80 kilometres north-west of Newman, WA.
“The Nyidinghu iron ore mine proposal includes mine pits above and below the water table, an on-site ore processing from various sources, waste rock and tailings storage, an aerodrome, groundwater abstraction, surplus water management including aquifer recharge and other supporting infrastructure,” the WA EPA filing said.
“The proposal excludes transport, electricity and water pipeline infrastructure required to connect the proposal to existing operations. This infrastructure is included in the East Hamersley railway project proposal.”
A separate FMG subsidiary called Pilbara Infrastructure filed a proposal to the WA EPA in order to construct and operate the East Hamersley railway project.
“The East Hamersley railway project includes communications and signalling infrastructure, an ore loading facility, groundwater abstraction and discharge, borrow pits and quarries, culverts, bridges, diversion drains, pump station, construction camp, landfills and wastewater treatment plants, and other supporting infrastructure,” the WA EPA filing said.
“The proposal includes transport, electricity, and water pipeline infrastructure between the Nyidinghu iron ore mine proposal to connect to existing operations.”
As reported by the Australian Financial Review (AFR), the regulatory filings made contradict mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s suggestion in February that the Nyidinghu mine had been deferred until the 2030s.
“We are pushing Nyidinghu back into the 2030s out of the 2020s and that is because we have had a great deal of exploration success, we are consolidating around our existing operations,” Forrest said in February.
AFR said that Fortescue declined to provide an official statement on whether the documents filed to the WA EPA contradicted Forrest’s February comments.
Fortescue is expected to publish its full-year financial results on August 28.