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RIO Tinto will invest $1.9bn in a new bauxite project in Queensland that will replace ageing production and expand capacity at its Weipa operations, Reuters reported.
The Kangwinan project will add 20 million tons of annual bauxite production, with first output expected in 2029 and full production targeted for 2032.
Kangwinan will replace output from the nearby Andoom mine, which is approaching the end of its life this decade. It will also help offset the planned closure of Rio Tinto’s Gove bauxite mine in Australia’s Northern Territory in 2029.
The investment is expected to lift annual production capacity at Weipa to about 44 million tons from roughly 38 million tons currently.
Weipa is one of the world’s largest bauxite mining complexes. Bauxite is the main ore used to produce alumina and aluminium, which are used in construction, transport, packaging and renewable energy infrastructure.
The latest investment follows Rio Tinto’s agreement last month to acquire the neighbouring Aurukun bauxite project from Glencore and Mitsubishi Development, subject to regulatory approval.
Rio Tinto said the combination of its Amrun, Kangwinan and Aurukun operations was expected to support the Weipa business well beyond the middle of the century.
The investment forms part of Rio Tinto’s effort to secure longer-term bauxite supply as older Australian mines are depleted and closed.