Rio Tinto delivers first ore at Gudai-Darri project

Mining giant Rio Tinto has delivered first ore at its Gudai-Darri greenfield mine in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Rio Tinto said on Wednesday that its first convoy of autonomous AutoHaul trains were loaded with ore from Gudai-Darri's process plant before travelling a new 166-kilometre rail line that connects to the group's existing rail and port infrastructure.

Production from the mine will continue to ramp up through the remainder of the year and was expected to reach full capacity during 2023, with full-year shipments guidance sitting at 320-335.0m tonnes - subject to risks around the ramp-up of new mines, weather, and management of cultural heritage.

The FTSE 100-listed group highlighted that Gudai-Darri, which it believes will help underpin future production of the company's flagship Pilbara Blend product, has an expected life of more than 40 years and an annual capacity of 43.0m tonnes.

Rio Tinto's iron ore chief executive Simon Trott said: "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."

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com