On March 25, the Xipo Iron Ore project jointly developed by China Baowu and Rio Tinto Group ushered in an important milestone - the most critical belt system was put into production on schedule, marking the full completion of the main project, with large-scale production capacity, and providing strong support for the stable operation of Baowu iron ore supply chain and the guarantee of steel resources.
The Xipo project, located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, is another joint venture iron ore project between Rio Tinto Group and China Baowu following the Baorui Ji Dongpo project, with a total investment of about 2.4 billion Australian dollars and a designed annual capacity of 25 million tons of iron ore. In Baowu, the project is implemented by Baowu Resources.Carbon Steel Coil，Alloy Steel Coil，Mild Steel Coil。
The West Slope project started large-scale construction in March 2023, began highway production in June 2024, and the belt was completed and put into operation on the 25th of this month and began heavy load trial production. Previously, the project mainly relied on road transportation, and the smooth operation of the belt system further improved the ore transportation capacity, which can provide a more stable supply of raw materials for downstream production.
The crushing and belting system consists of a crusher with a designed capacity of 6,000 tonnes per hour and an 18-kilometre belt conveyor system to transport the ore to the existing processing plant at Paraburdu. The next step will be to focus on promoting the capacity climb of the belt system and completing the remaining finishing work safely and efficiently.
As an important part of Baowu Resources' overseas resource development, the advancement of the Xipo project will help optimize the global iron ore supply chain and is of great significance to creating the most reliable, greenest and safest raw material supply chain for steel. In the future, Baowu Resources will continue to improve the level of supply chain management, promote the coordinated development of the industrial chain, and contribute to the green and low-carbon transformation of the steel industry