International miner Rio Tinto said Friday that its US $ 1.9 billion Amrun bauxite mine in Northern Australia will be fully operational after the ramp-up phase completes, increasing production at its Weipa facilities by more than a third.
Rio Tinto produces about 50 million tons of aluminum raw materials worldwide, accounting for almost 15 percent of the world's supply.
Amrun will have production at full operation of 22.8 million tonnes, while Rio de Janeiro's bauxite production at Weipa in Australia's northern tip will reach 35 million tonnes per year, the company said.
“ The mine and its associated processing and port facilities will replace production at Rio Tinto's depleting East Weipa mine and increase annual bauxite exports by about 10 million tonnes, while the world's higher quality bauxite are becoming increasingly scarce , ”CEO Rio JS Jacques said in a statement.
Amrun, which was approved for construction in November 2015, was expected to begin production and shipment in the first half of 2019, before reaching full production by the end of the year. However, Rio Tinto has managed to reduce construction time by a year.
According to Jacques, bauxite has been mined at Weipa for over 50 years, and the new mine will extend operations for another 50 years.
The first batch of bauxite from the mine was shipped in December.
