en.Wedoany.com Reported - Guinea's SimFer joint venture updated the progress of the Simandou iron ore project on June 4, stating that construction has shifted to the continuous ramp-up of the mine, railway, and port system. As of the end of March 2026, the overall completion rate of the SimFer mine area was approximately 74%, with earthworks and permanent beneficiation facilities progressing as planned, and ore crushing and stockpiling ongoing. The SimFer railway branch line has been fully operational, with the entire line's commissioning completed in the first quarter of 2026. SimFer port construction is progressing faster than planned, with a completion rate of 78% by the end of March, and commissioning is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

In terms of shipments, SimFer shipped 600,000 tons of iron ore in the first quarter and achieved its first sales in China in April. Currently, ore is transported from the SimFer mine via a 70-kilometer branch railway to the main Trans-Guinean railway, and then shipped to international customers through the WCS port. Three ship loaders have arrived at Morebaya Port, supporting the subsequent construction of the port loading system and capacity ramp-up. SimFer stated that earthworks and permanent processing facilities at the mine continue to advance as planned, with ore still being crushed and stockpiled. The project is steadily progressing toward its planned annual production capacity of 60 million tons, which is expected to be achieved in the second half of 2028.

SimFer Managing Director Chris Aitchison stated that this quarter represents a significant phase for the Simandou project, with the team continuously building operational momentum, transitioning from completing milestone nodes to sustained operational execution across the mine, railway, and port sectors. SimFer is jointly formed by the Government of Guinea, Rio Tinto, and the CIOH consortium led by Aluminum Corporation of China. Simandou is one of the world's large-scale, high-grade iron ore development projects. The current phase focuses not only on mine construction completion but also on the stable integration of the railway branch line, main railway, and port system. With the first-quarter shipments and the initial sales in China in April, the project's significance for new high-grade iron ore supply to Chinese steel mills has shifted from construction expectations to actual logistics realization.

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