Fortescue has progressed its Wyloo North Iron Ore Mine proposal through Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), who has determined that further assessment is needed to determine its impacts.
The project, referred to under section 38 of the Environmental Protection Act, targets iron ore extraction in the Pilbara region.
Located about 110 km west of Tom Price in the Hamersley Range, the mine will employ conventional open-cut methods, accessing ore both above and below the groundwater table.
Supporting infrastructure includes mine pits, waste rock landforms, ore and soil stockpiles, an infrastructure corridor, and water management systems for groundwater abstraction and dewatering.
Extracted ore will travel by road train roughly 3 km northeast to Fortescue’s existing Eliwana Iron Ore Mine for processing, optimising use of nearby facilities.
The proponent forecasts up to 4,954.5 hectares of disturbance across a 21,910.1 ha Mine Development Envelope, with operations spanning approximately 13 years.
The EPA determined that “detailed assessment is required to determine the extent of the proposal’s direct and indirect impacts, with particular regard given to cumulative impacts, and whether the EPA environmental factor objectives can be met”.
Fortescue’s supporting documents detail flora, vegetation, and fauna surveys conducted in 2025, alongside the final proposal content.
Industry reports highlight the mine’s planned 12 million tonnes per annum capacity, with ore grading around 59.6 per cent iron.
Power will primarily come from renewables and battery storage, linked to Fortescue’s Pilbara network, with diesel backups for reliability — aligning with the company’s decarbonisation goals despite added scope 1 emissions of up to 52,311 tonnes CO2-equivalent annually.
This satellite development aims to leverage Eliwana infrastructure, avoiding major new builds.
The full project lifecycle includes two years of construction, 13 years of operations, and decommissioning, with progressive rehabilitation.
Fortescue, a key Pilbara player, shipped a record 198.4 million tonnes of ore in FY2025, up 4 per cent year-on-year.
Wyloo North supports sustained production amid global iron ore demand.
The EPA assessment will determine the project’s next steps.
