Engineering and infrastructure company RCR Tomlinson has secured a contract valued more than A$120m ($91.9m) to supply a primary crusher and overland conveyor system for Rio Tinto’s Silvergrass mine in Pilbara, Western Australia.
Under the deal, RCR’s work will include the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC). However, prior to starting construction during Q4 of this year, Rio Tinto needs to obtain necessary government approvals.
RCR's managing director and CEO Dr Paul Dalgleish said: “This contract award demonstrates that RCR is certainly leading the iron ore processing industry and is a result of our innovative approach to cost competitive solutions.
“This win, when added to recent successful projects and new contract awards, firmly places RCR as a market leader in the engineering, procurement and construction of mineral processing plants in the mining and minerals sector.”
Earlier this month, Rio Tinto said it was moving ahead with its final-phase plans to develop the Silvergrass mine with an investment of A$338m ($259m).
Set to add ten million tonnes of capacity, the investment will lower mine operating costs by replacing road haulage with a better conveyor system, linking mine operations to the existing Nammuldi processing plant.
The satellite Silvergrass deposit is located next to Rio Tinto’s Nammuldi mine and is part of the Greater Nammuldi precinct.
The low-phosphorus Marra Mamba ore from Silvergrass mining operations is treated at the Greater Nammuldi processing plant and blended into Rio Tinto’s Pilbara blend product.
