Guinea’s Simandou Iron Ore Project Seen Aiding Climate Goal
- High-grade iron content will cut emissions in steel production
- Exports from world’s biggest reserve development starts 2026
The project entails the exploitation of 8 billion tons in iron ore deposits, with an estimated annual output of 160 million tons.
Photographer: Carla Gottgens/BloombergGuinea’s giant Simandou iron ore project, which is expected to start exports in two years’ time, is set to contribute to the world’s decarbonization efforts, according to Rio Tinto Plc.
“With an iron content of nearly 65% and few impurities, Simandou project will make Guinea a key player,” Lawrence Dechambenoit, head of external affairs at Rio Tinto, said in a speech in the capital, Conakry. “Simandou iron can be refined using less energy-intensive technologies that emit less carbon dioxide during the transformation into steel,” he said at an event to mark the second anniversary of Compagnie du TransGuinéen, a joint-venture set up by the Guinean government and its industrial partners to develop the world’s largest iron ore reserve.