CITIC Pacific shipped the first magnetite concentrate from its Sino iron project in Western Australia in early December. The first of six concentrator lines at the project was fully operational, commissioning was in progress on a second line, and construction was ongoing for the remaining four lines.
The Sino iron project is designed to produce 24 million mt/y of magnetite concentrate and will ship its concentrate product to CITIC Pacific steel mills and to other steel producers in China.
The project is located 100 km southwest of Karratha, Western Australia. The concentrate is shipped from the Port of Cape Pres- ton, which was built to serve the project.
At a ceremony to mark the occasion of the Sino project’s first shipment, CITIC Pacific President Zhang Jijing said, “The knowledge and experience gained from the first two concentrator lines will benefit in the installation of the remaining four lines. Production cost per tonne will be high until the project is in full production, as interest can no longer be capitalized and depreciation begins.
“We are working hard to bring the additional four lines into operation as early as possible. The economies of scale and the increased production from the additional lines are very significant.”
