The Mineral Resources (MinRes) engineering and construction team have completed the construction of the Onslow Iron project’s private haul road.
Designed and developed in-house by the team, the 150km sealed haul road underpins the innovative pit-to-ship supply chain setting Onslow Iron apart from other iron ore operations.
Onslow Iron harnesses MinRes mining, transport and service innovation to unlock stranded deposits in the West Pilbara region.
In May 2024, the project delivered first ore on ship ahead of schedule and is now ramping-up production to 35 million tonnes per year.
Having reached completion of the 150km sealed and fenced haul road, increased transport operations from the Ken’s Bore mine through to the Port of Ashburton will support ongoing production ramp-up to nameplate capacity.
Ore is transported from mine site to port via MinRes’ custom-design 330t road trains operating on private roads and travelling through tunnels at North West Coastal Highway and Onslow Road, avoiding interaction with public vehicles.
As one of the most technologically advanced pieces of transport infrastructure in Australia, the haul road has also been specially designed to support the planned conversion of MinRes road trains to autonomous operation via a series of roadside monitoring bases positioned alongside the roadway.
MinRes’ Chief Executive Engineering and Construction, Darren Killeen, said completion of the haul road marks another significant achievement for the project.
“The haul road plays a critical role in the Onslow Iron operation, linking our mine site to the port, so we were pleased to safely deliver another quality asset to the project.
“Our teams have done a tremendous job in delivering this world-class transport infrastructure, which highlights the design, engineering and construction capability within our business.”
Executive General Manager Onslow, Mike Tonkin, said the haul road plays a critical role in supporting the project’s pit-to-ship supply chain.
“The Onslow Iron haul road is an impressive piece of infrastructure and the key to unlocking stranded iron ore deposits in the West Pilbara.
“A lot of foresight, planning and hard work has helped us complete this project and I congratulate everyone across the MinRes business who’s helped us reach this milestone.”
In September 2024, MinRes announced the sale of a 49 per cent stake in the haul road to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners for total expected proceeds of $1.3 billion – further endorsing Onslow Iron’s world-class credentials and showcasing MinRes’ ability to unlock significant capital from its asset portfolio.
