Fortescue plans to produce 12 million tons of iron ore per year at the Australian mine.
Australian producer Fortescue has applied to the Western Australian Environment Protection Authority (WA) for permission to build its Wyloo North iron ore project with a capacity of 12 million tons per year in the Pilbara region.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will accept public materials about the project until February 24, according to a statement dated February 17.
Fortescue plans to build Wyloo North within two years, operate it for 13 years, and then decommission it within five years. The company will process the ore extracted under the project at its existing Elivan mine, according to a proposal from the environmental protection agency.
According to the American investor Vox Royalty, the iron content in the Wyloo North iron ore deposits is 59.6% of the iron content in the ore. The average selling price of Fortescue hematite in October-December 2025 was $93 per ton, which is lower than the Argus average price for 61pc Fe (ICX) cfr Qingdao fine iron ore in Qingdao over the same period, which was $102.63 per ton.
Wyloo North will increase air emissions in Fortescue. According to Fortescue, the project can generate up to 52,311 tons of CO2 emissions per year from mining and manufacturing activities.
Fortescue produced 2.6 million tons of CO2e emissions in 2024-25, but aims to completely decarbonize its land areas. operations by 2030. In 2025-26, the company will focus on fleet electrification and renewable energy projects.
Fortescue will supply Wyloo North with electricity using mainly renewable sources and batteries, but, according to its proposal, plans to maintain diesel generators to account for possible disruptions.
In December 2025, Fortescue installed a five-hour battery storage system with a capacity of 250 MWh[url=https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2760086]and plans to install another 4-5 GWh drives in the coming years.