Speech by Chinese Investors, Simguodu Iron Ore Mine Officially Starts Production, Targeting 120 Million Tons of Iron Ore Annually

The President of the Republic of Guinea today attended the ceremony with project partners WCS, Baowu Mining, China Aluminum, and Rio Tinto Group at the port in Forecaria Province, celebrating the official start of production at the Simguodu Iron Ore Mine. Simguodu is Africa's largest new integrated mine and infrastructure project.

The project will build over 600 kilometers of multi-purpose cross-Guinea railway, along with barge and transfer ship port facilities. Once the infrastructure is put into use and production capacity is gradually increased, the Simguodu Iron Ore Mine will support SimFer and WCS companies to export a total of up to 120 million tons per year of iron ore from their respective Simguodu mining areas located in the southeast of Guinea.

According to partners, testing and commissioning of the mine, railway, and barge port system infrastructure are ongoing, and WCS and SimFer have already begun transporting iron ore from the mine to the port via the cross-sea railway of Guinea.

The project was jointly developed by the Government of the Republic of Guinea, SimFer, and WCS. After the project starts operation, all jointly developed infrastructure and railway vehicles will be transferred to the Cross-Sea Railway Company of Guinea (CTG) for its operation. Simfer and WCS each hold 42.5% of CTG's shares, while the Guinean government holds the remaining 15% share.

Mr. Djiba Diakite, Director of the Office of the President of the Republic of Guinea and Minister, and Chairman of the Simguodu 2040 Strategic Committee, stated: "Simguodu is not just an mining project, but also a driving force for national transformation. This collective achievement reflects the vision of the head of state and the determination of the people of the country to build a shared prosperous future. This launch marks a milestone in the development process of Guinea, and now Guinea has become an important participant in sustainable development and economic sovereignty in West Africa."

Mr. Sun Xiushun, Chairman of the Winning Alliance, said: "This milestone represents years of hard work and a solid partnership. The winning consortium is honored to fulfill its commitment and work with partners to bring the Simguodu mine into operation."

Simon Trott, CEO of Rio Tinto, said: "This outstanding achievement would not have been possible without the hard work of thousands of colleagues, as well as the complementary strengths and expertise of Rio Tinto, our SimFer partner, the Guinean government, and the Simguodu winning consortium."

"Today, we have opened up a new source of high-quality iron ore, meeting the demand for low-carbon steel production, and further enriching our world-class iron ore resource portfolio in Pilbara and Canada."

Wang Shilei, President of China Aluminum, said: "The launch of the Simguodu project is an important outcome of the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. It demonstrates the joint efforts and practical cooperation between China and Guinea, contributing to Guinea's industrialization and modernization process." China Aluminum is committed to working with all partners to fully implement the results of the Beijing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, promote the high-quality development of the Simguodu Iron Ore Project, effectively implement the Belt and Road Initiative, and drive the continuous deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Guinea.

Hu Wangming, Chairman of China Baowu Group, said: "The launch of the Simguodu project is an important milestone in the history of global mining. Throughout the development process, all parties have always maintained a sense of the overall situation and long-term vision, adhering to the principles of marketization, rule of law, and internationalization, ensuring the project is advanced at high standards and quality. The stable supply of high-quality iron ore resources from Simguodu will provide a solid low-carbon raw material basis for the development of China's steel industry and the global steel industry. We are confident that this model cooperation will inject sustained momentum into the socio-economic development of the host country, Guinea."

Source: im-mining

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848635805679751/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.