Iron Ore Western Australia

The Pilbara, Western Australia

In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, we own a world-class, integrated network of 17 mines, four independent port terminals, a rail network spanning nearly 2,000 kilometres and related infrastructure – all designed to respond rapidly to changes in demand. We are one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of iron ore.

Gudai-Darri: Our newest and most technologically advanced mine

In addition to technology already in use across our operations – such as autonomous trucks, trains, and drills – Gudai-Darri’s design is also far more automated and digitised, including advanced data analytics. This level of automation allows us to operate equipment and vehicles remotely from Perth, improving safety and efficiency. Significant innovations include a digital replica of the processing plant that’s accessible in real time by workers in the field; integrated mine automation and simulation systems. Innovations at Gudai-Darri include autonomous water carts, a rotable bucket wheel reclaimer, and a fully automated laboratory integrated within the mine. Gudai-Darri sets a benchmark for our industry in terms of automation and using real-time data to drive decisions – making mining safer and more productive.

Innovation in our Western Australian Iron Ore operations

Our integrated iron ore network is supported by our Operations Centre in Perth, a state-of-the-art facility that enables all the autonomous trucks, trains and drills at our mines, ports and rail systems to be operated from a single location. The Centre combines visualisation and collaboration tools to provide real-time information across our demand chain and allows us to optimise our mining, maintenance and logistic activities across the Pilbara in a way never before possible.

In 2019, we launched the world’s first automated heavy-haul rail network – named AutoHaul™ – capable of moving about one million tonnes of iron ore a day. AutoHaul™ improves safety by reducing risk at level crossings and through automated responses to speed restrictions and alarms, eliminating the need to transport drivers to and from trains mid-journey. This saves almost 1.5 million kilometres of road travel every year. It also improves cycle times by using information about network topography to calculate and deliver a safe, consistent driving strategy.

About 80% of our haul truck fleet across our Pilbara sites is also autonomous. These trucks, which use pre-defined GPS courses to automatically navigate haul roads and intersections, and which continuously track actual locations, speeds and directions of other vehicles, allow us to move more material, more efficiently and safely, increasing productivity.

We are a global industry leader in autonomous haulage and are the only organisation in the world to operate two different Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Autonomous Haulage Systems (AHS).

We also continue to expand our Autonomous Drilling System (ADS) and now have a fleet of 32 production drills across seven sites, with plans to deploy another 18 drills by the end of 2023. ADS allows us to monitor multiple drills from different manufacturers across multiple sites from remote drill consoles in Perth.

Growth

We are continually investing in our operations in the Pilbara, introducing next generation technologies that can deliver greater efficiency, lower production costs and improved health, safety and environmental performance.

In June 2022, we announced the production of first ore at Gudai-Darri, our first greenfield mine in the Pilbara, Western Australia, in more than a decade. With an expected life of more than 40 years and an annual capacity of 43 million tonnes, Gudai-Darri will underpin future production of our Pilbara Blend™ product.

The mine’s commissioning and ramp-up is expected to increase our iron ore production volumes and improve our product mix from the Pilbara. We expect to reach full capacity during 2023. We are also progressing a feasibility study to support an expansion of this new hub. The development of Gudai-Darri supported more than 3,000 jobs during the construction and design phase. The mine supports around 600 ongoing permanent roles.

I’d like to acknowledge the support of the Traditional Owners, the Banjima People, on whose country Gudai-Darri is situated. We have worked closely with the Banjima People to progress this project and we look forward to partnering with them into the future.

The commissioning of Gudai-Darri represents the successful delivery of our first greenfield mine in over a decade, helping to support increased output of Pilbara Blend, our flagship product. It sets a new standard for Rio Tinto mine developments through its deployment of technology and innovation to enhance productivity and improve safety.

Simon Trott, Iron Ore Chief Executive