Africa's Largest Greenfield Mining Project Enters Commercial Operation
The Simandou iron ore project in Guinea has shipped its first cargo to China, marking the start of commercial operations at Africa's largest greenfield integrated mine and infrastructure project. A vessel carrying 200,000 tonnes of high-grade iron ore departed from the Port of Maretapa for China in December 2025, signalling the full activation of Simandou's integrated industrial chain.
Project Scale and Resources
- Total reserves: More than 4 billion tonnes with average iron content above 65%, making it one of the highest-grade hematite deposits globally
- Target capacity: Up to 120 million tonnes per year from both blocks once fully operational
- Infrastructure investment: More than US$20 billion in total project infrastructure
- Rail corridor: Over 600 kilometres of new multi-use trans-Guinean railway
Partnership Structure
The project is co-developed by the Government of the Republic of Guinea, SimFer (a joint venture of Chinalco, Rio Tinto, and the Guinean government), and WCS (Winning Consortium Simandou, partnered with Baowu). The southern block is developed by Chinalco and Rio Tinto, while the northern block is managed by Baowu and WCS. Once commissioned, all co-developed infrastructure will be transferred to the Compagnie du TransGuinéen (CTG), in which SimFer and WCS each hold 42.5% equity, with Guinea holding 15%.
Production Ramp-Up
SimFer expects to produce between 5-10 million metric tonnes of ore in 2026, ramping up to 60 million tonnes per year once additional infrastructure is built. The International Monetary Fund projects Simandou could become the largest iron mine on Earth, potentially boosting Guinea's GDP by more than 25% by 2030 and positioning the country as the world's third-largest iron ore supplier after Australia and Brazil.
