The maiden shipment of Fortescue Metals Group’s new 60.1 per cent iron content product West Pilbara Fines has left Herb Elliott Port, bound for Hunan Valin Steel Co., Ltd in China.
Fortescue is set to produce 5 – 10 million tonnes of West Pilbara Fines in the 2019 financial year by blending higher iron, low alumina ore from the western pits at Cloudbreak with ore from the Firetail mine.
When Eliwana begins production in December 2020, production of West Pilbara Fines is expected to ramp up to 40 million tonnes per annum.
Fortescue Metals Group Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Gaines said the production of West Pilbara Fines demonstrates the flexibility of Fortescue’s wholly owned, integrated mining operations and the agility of the processing and blending strategy.
“For the last decade, we have delivered a range of differentiated products with a high value in use for our customers. As we look out to the 2019 financial year and beyond, West Pilbara Fines will further enhance the range of ores available, as we continue to ensure that our quality control and product consistency are maintained at the highest levels for our customers in China, Asia and Europe,” she commented.
Chairman of Hunan Valin, Dr Cao Zhiaqiang said he is pleased to be the first steel mill customer for West Pilbara Fines.
“Fortescue continues to respond to the market’s needs by expanding its product suite while remaining focused on delivering high value in use products,” he said.
More information on Fortescue’s West Pilbara operations can be found here.
