Sino iron project

The long delayed and extremely expensive Chinese owned Sino Iron Project in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia is finally heading towards completion as commissioning of the second of two production lines has finally begun.

Sino Iron Project Owned by Chinese Company CITIC Pacific Mining
The giant project is that is owned by Hong Kong based CITIC Pacific Mining is being constructed on a mining lease belonging to controversial
Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer. The Sino Iron Project is an important project for both China and Australia and once it begins production it will be the first Chinese owned mining company to ship iron ore from Western Australia to China.

Sino Iron Project is the Largest in Australia
The Sino Iron Project being developed is located 100 kilometres south west of Karratha, at Cape Preston. It is the largest magnetite mining and processing project being undertaken in Australia and when completed will be a world class magnetite iron ore open cut development. It will significantly benefit the Western Australian economy with its downstream processing, transfer of international technology, new employment opportunities and ongoing community benefits for many decades going forward.

First Production Line at the Sino Iron Project is Currently Undergoing Commissioning
The first production line at the Sino Iron Project has been going through the commissioning process since June 2013 and CITIC have now decided to move the line into the production stage. The company, however, still has some internal problems to iron out before the first shipment of iron ore is ready to be shipped out of its port.

Sino Iron Project Four Years Behind Schedule
The Sino Iron Project, that could now be in production by early 2014, is four years behind schedule because of is being subjected to a series of legal, technical and operational problems since it was conceived in 2006. Queensland mining entrepreneur, Clive Palmer, sold CITIC Pacific Mining the right to mine two billion tonnes of iron ore from the lease which remains under his ultimate ownership.
In an effort to get the giant project up and running as soon as possible, CITIC Pacific Mining have engaged the services of Mr Wal King, the former head of Leighton Holdings. Mr King has been engaged as a special advisor with the job of bringing everthing together by minimising any further difficulties that have the potential to further delay production.

There have been around 4,000 people employed in the construction phase of the giant Sino Iron Project and once it is in full production it will create employment for around 1,000 permanent employees. The company has the right to acquire a further three billion tonnes of iron ore held in reserve and if exercised will lift its annual production an extra 70 million tonnes.

The infrastructure that has been constructed at the Sino Iron Project includes the following:
- A concentrator plant
- A 450 megawatt gas fired power station
- A 51 gigalitre desalination plant
- A new port facility

The Sino Iron Project power station, that will primarily power the concentrator circuit, will generate electricity equal to all the power currently being supplied to all other mines in the iron ore rich Pilbara Region. The concentrate is to be pumped by means of a slurry pipeline to the port where it is to be stockpiled awaiting export. The Mine will use the world's biggest excavators and haul trucks.
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