BHP said its board of directors recently approved the Western Ridge Crusher (WRC) project, located on the traditional lands of the Nyiyaparli people, approximately 21 kilometres southwest of Newman, Western Australia.
The project is a sustaining tonnes proposal for the miner’s Newman Operations, which consists of two mining sites.
BHP WA Iron Ore Asset President Tim Day said this was a significant milestone and project, with an expected total investment of US$943 million (100% basis).
“We expect to award more than US$45 million (100% basis) in contracts to local and Indigenous businesses – both via BHP direct and indirect engagements. This will achieve significant social value for the communities in which we operate,” Day added.
The project scope includes new ore processing and transportation infrastructure, including construction of a primary crusher with a 30 million tonne per annum capacity, and a 12-km overland conveyor to transport the ore from the Mount Helen and Silver Knight iron ore deposits to the Newman West ore processing hub.
First production is expected in the first quarter of FY2027, and the project is expected to deliver an average of 25 Mtpa providing around 12 years of products to replace production from depleting orebodies around Newman.
Source: BHP