Mining giant Rio Tinto’s A$2.6bn ($2bn) Amrun bauxite project in Australia is on track to reach the target of commencing shipments in the first quarter of 2019.
One third of the project’s construction has now been completed according to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk following her meeting with Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sébastien Jacques.
Currently, 930 workers are engaged in the construction of the Amrun bauxite project being built near Weipa in Queensland.
Palaszczuk said: "Queensland suppliers represent more than two-thirds (68%) of all supply for the project.
"There are currently 930 construction workers on site, with 96 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers.”
The Amrun bauxite project is 40kms away from Rio Tinto’s existing Andoom mines and East Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula. As part of the project, the mining major will build a bauxite mine along with associated processing and port facilities.
Production at the bauxite project is slated to begin in the first half of 2019 and is likely to reach full production by the end of that year.
Initially, the production capacity of the bauxite project is expected to be 22.8 million tons per year which can be increased in the future to 50 million tons a year.
Upon becoming operational, the Amrun bauxite project will do its part in supporting employment for about 1400 employees and contractors at its Cape York bauxite operations.
Last month, the mining company awarded an A$100m ($77m) contract to Aggreko Australia Pacific for the construction and operation of a 20MW power station at the Amrun bauxite project.
In January, Rio Tinto gave an A$70m ($54m) earthworks contract to QBirt to develop critical mine infrastructure of the Amrun bauxite project.
Image: Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s meeting with Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sébastien Jacques.