Weipa port, Australia

Weipa

Our Weipa operations in Far North Queensland includes three bauxite mines, processing facilities, shiploaders, an export wharf, two ports, power stations, a rail network and ferry terminals

Bauxite

Product

34.5Mt

Production

100%

Ownership

1963

Started

2022 figures

Weipa, Far North Queensland

Our Weipa operations in Far North Queensland includes three bauxite mines, processing facilities, shiploaders, an export wharf, two ports, power stations, a rail network and ferry terminals.

Amrun, our newest mine, was completed in 2018 and will extend our Weipa bauxite operations by decades, significantly building on our 55-year history on the Western Cape, and providing jobs and supporting business growth in the region. The mine is located on traditional land. We work closely with the Traditional Owners to implement our agreements, ensuring that the benefits generated from mining support future generations and that important cultural heritage sites are identified and preserved .

In 2022, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Traditional Owner representatives from the Alngith, Anathangayth, Peppan and Wathayn Traditional Owner groups on a consultation process around the closure planning for the East Weipa bauxite mine.

  • Truck at Weipa

    Our Weipa mines

    East Weipa, Andoom and Amrun
  • Loading material at Weipa

    Ports

    Two independent shipping terminals at two locations, Weipa and Western Cape York Peninsula managed as a single port system, and an export wharf and ferry terminal at Amrun.
  • Weipa train

    Rail

    19 kilometres of rail network to transport bauxite from East Weipa and Andoom mines to the port.

Innovation at Weipa

Respecting the environment and local communities is a priority for our operations. Amrun – our flagship bauxite development which made its first shipment in December 2018 – was built with advanced technology, innovation and a commitment to the Western Cape York community and strong partnership with the local Wik-Waya Traditional Owners. At the request of Traditional Owners, it was named Amrun, the Wik Waya people’s traditional name for the area where most of the mine’s infrastructure is located.

While constructing Amrun, we used innovative modular engineering techniques to build the wharf more safely, faster and with a smaller environmental footprint.

We also used virtual reality to help the local community and Traditional Owners understand how the mine and surrounding areas would eventually look. Today, we oversee activities at Amrun in real-time, using the latest technology and predictive mathematical tools to run operations safely and efficiently.

Our Bauxite Integrated Operations Centre oversees the way we run our northern Australia operations in real time. The Operations Centre team uses the latest technology and tools like predictive maths, clever computer code and powerful software to run East Weipa, Amrun, Andoom and Gove mines safely and efficiently.

In 2019, the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) granted its Performance Standard and Chain of Custody certifications to our Amrun and Weipa bauxite mines. ASI certification means customers can be assured that the aluminium they purchase has been produced to the highest environmental, social and governance standards, ranging from greenhouse gas emissions to human rights.

Reducing our emissions

Decarbonisation continues to be major focus area for our aluminium assets – particularly refineries and smelters – but we’re also tackling it in Weipa, completing our second 4MW solar farm and 4MW battery storage facility in late 2022.

This second solar farm is expected to produce an average of 10,750MW hours of electricity and save almost 3 million litres of diesel annually.

When combined with the upgrades to the existing power generation network, the hybrid solar-battery-diesel system will reduce our carbon emissions by approximately 7,500 tonnes per annum – equivalent to taking over 1600 cars off the road each year.

Built along the existing West Weipa Tailings storage facility boundary fence, the new solar farm will help provide a stable power network for our Weipa operations, bauxite mines and the Weipa township.

James Spencer, Weipa Operations, Australia

James Spencer

Apprentice electrician, weipa operations, australia, and creator of the "spencer step"

We had a meeting about keeping high touch areas cleaner, and later that day it just came to me: there are about 20 doors around here that we need to keep closed to stop the dust from moving through – but closing all those doors means a lot of contact.

More

I thought: I bet I can find a way to open them without touching the handles. So I came up with the idea for this step – a bracket with an upturned lip for traction, and red and silver tape so you can’t miss it. And now we can open doors with our feet!

I guess we’re calling it the “Spencer Step,” which is nice. I’ll be honest, I usually come up with the idea for something, make it first and think about the planning later! I’m coming up with a plan so we can share it with our colleagues all over the world, so they can make their own. Here at Weipa, and I know other places around the world too, if we were to get sick and not be able to work it would have a big impact on our community. And you know, if there's anything I can do to stop that, I feel good about. Because it helps our community – and it means I am doing my part.

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Weipa Communities

We are a major contributor to the regional economy on the Western Cape, including significant investment in local infrastructure to support the Weipa Township.

Weipa downloads

Pre-disturbance annual reports
Amrun Pre-Disturbance Annual Report 2020
PDF
653 KB
Amrun Pre-Disturbance Annual Report 2019
PDF
705 KB
Amrun Pre-Disturbance Annual Report 2018
PDF
647 KB
Amrun Pre-Disturbance Annual Report 2017
PDF
644 KB
EPBC Annual compliance reports
Amrun EPBC Annual Compliance Report 2023
PDF
486 KB
Amrun EPBC Annual Compliance Report 2022
PDF
654 KB
Amrun EPBC Annual Compliance Report 2021
PDF
551 KB
Amrun EPBC Annual Compliance Report 2020
PDF
905 KB
Amrun EPBC Annual Compliance Report 2019
PDF
1.12 MB
Amrun EPBC Annual Compliance Report 2018
PDF
1.04 MB
Amrun EPBC Annual Compliance Report 2017
PDF
1.3 MB
EPBC independent compliance audit reports
Amrun EPBC Independent Compliance Audit Report 2022
PDF
1.29 MB
Amrun EPBC Independent Compliance Audit Report 2019
PDF
2.42 MB
Amrun EPBC Independent Compliance Audit Report 2016
PDF
1.96 MB
EPBC annual environmental monitoring reports
Amrun EPBC Annual Environmental Monitoring Report 2023
PDF
1.88 MB
Amrun EPBC Annual Environmental Monitoring Report 2022
PDF
1.83 MB
Amrun EPBC Annual Environmental Monitoring Report 2021
PDF
1.47 MB
Weed surveys
Amrun Weed Survey 2019
PDF
11.87 MB
Amrun Weed Survey 2018
PDF
7.3 MB
Amrun Weed Survey 2017
PDF
3.22 MB
Amrun Weed Survey 2016
PDF
1.45 MB
Marine turtle nesting surveys
Amrun Marine Turtle Nesting Surveys 2019
PDF
4.75 MB
Amrun Marine Turtle Nesting Surveys 2018
PDF
4.79 MB
Amrun Marine Turtle Nesting Surveys 2017
PDF
3.96 MB
Amrun Marine Turtle Nesting Surveys 2016
PDF
4.18 MB
Inshore dolphin surveys
Amrun Inshore Dolphin Survey Summary 2019
PDF
5.96 MB
Amrun Inshore Dolphin Survey Report 2018
PDF
6.23 MB
Amrun Inshore Dolphin Survey Summary 2017
PDF
1.07 MB
Amrun Inshore Dolphin Survey Summary 2016
PDF
2.47 MB
South of Embley Inshore Dolphin Baseline Survey 2014
PDF
10.95 MB
South of Embley Inshore Dolphin Offset Strategy
PDF
2.49 MB
South of Embley Inshore Dolphin Offset Strategy – Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
500 KB
Marine pest baseline survey and programs
Amrun Marine Pest Baseline Survey
PDF
8.85 MB
Amrun Marine Pest Monitoring Program 2020
PDF
984 KB
Amrun Marine Pest Monitoring Program 2019
PDF
1.25 MB
Amrun Marine Pest Monitoring Program 2018
PDF
3.68 MB
Amrun Marine Pest Monitoring Program 2017
PDF
4.65 MB
Feral pig management offset strategy
South of Embley Feral Pig Management Offset Strategy Implementation Plan – Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
1.07 MB
South of Embley Feral Pig Management Offset Strategy - Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
668 KB
South of Embley Feral Pig Management Offset Strategy
PDF
2.87 MB
Feral animal monitoring annual reports
Amrun Feral Animal Monitoring Annual Report 2020
PDF
658 KB
Amrun Feral Animal Monitoring Annual Report 2019
PDF
853 KB
Amrun Feral Animal Monitoring Annual Report 2018
PDF
956 KB
Amrun Bare-Rumped Sheath-Tail Survey Report
PDF
5.1 MB
Dredging
Amrun Capital Dredging Coral Health Monitoring Report 2016
PDF
3.21 MB
Amrun Capital Dredging Water Quality Monitoring Report 2016
PDF
4.83 MB
Amrun Port and River Facilities Long-Term Maintenance Dredge Monitoring and Management Plan
PDF
704 KB
Amrun Capital Dredge Management Plan – Amrun Port
PDF
3.46 MB
Amrun Capital Dredge Management Plan – Amrun Port - Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
97 KB
Amrun Capital Dredge Management Plan – River Facilities
PDF
2.44 MB
Amrun Maintenance Dredging Information Pack
PDF
4.88 MB
Amrun Maintenance Dredging Water Quality Reporting 2018
PDF
801 KB
Amrun Maintenance Dredge Management Plan 2019
PDF
3.74 MB
Amrun Port and River Facilities Long-Term Maintenance Dredge Management Plan
PDF
7.41 MB
Amrun Maintenance Dredge Management Plan – Independent Peer Review
PDF
530 KB
Amrun Maintenance Dredge Management Plan – Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
351 KB
Marine & shipping management plans
Amrun Operational Marine & Shipping Management Plan – Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
209 KB
Amrun Operational Marine & Shipping Management Plan
PDF
3.07 MB
Amrun Construction Marine & Shipping Management Plan
PDF
6.28 MB
Amrun Construction Marine & Shipping Management Plan – Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
368 KB
Social impact management plans
Weipa Social Impact Management Plan 2018 Report
PDF
3.66 MB
Weipa Social Impact Management Plan 2017 Report
PDF
2.02 MB
Weipa Social Impact Management Plan 2016 Report
PDF
971 KB
Environmental Impact Statements
South of Embley Environmental Impact Statement
PDF
33.98 MB
South of Embley Environmental Impact Statement Summary
PDF
1.48 MB
South of Embley Supplementary Report to EIS
ZIP
15.7 MB
South of Embley Final Environmental Impact Statement (Commonwealth)
ZIP
178.53 MB
Temporary barge plans
South of Embley Temporary Barge Plan
PDF
3.94 MB
South of Embley Temporary Barge Plan - Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
480 KB
Terrestrial management plans
South of Embley Terrestrial Management Plan - Response to Independent Reviewer
PDF
188 KB
South of Embley Terrestrial Management Plan
PDF
4.8 MB
Community Development Fund
Weipa Community Development Fund Application
PDF
192 KB
Weipa Community Development Fund Guidelines 
PDF
814 KB
Weipa Respecting Land Access
PDF
157 KB
Amrun Local and Indigenous Participation Strategy
PDF
3.54 MB
South of Embley Coordinator General's Report
PDF
2.45 MB
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Careers

Discover more about life at Rio Tinto.

For requests or enquiries about survey data and methodology collected by the Amrun Project in accordance with Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Approval EPBC 2010/5642, email: amrun.enquiries@riotinto.com.

Contact Weipa

Weipa

Lorim Point
Weipa, Queensland

E: Weipa Enquiries
T: 1800 707 633

Power outage / general works hotline

T: 1800 820 711