The Robe River Joint Venture continues to go from strength to strength, with a $US733 million investment announced this week. This funding injection will support the development of the West Angelas Sustaining Project in the Pilbara, with a focus on expanding iron ore deposits within the West Angelas hub.
The Robe River Joint Venture comprises Rio Tinto (53 per cent), Mitsui Iron Ore (33 per cent) and Nippon Steel (14 per cent), and the partnership celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. Operations began in the Robe Valley near Pannawonica in 1972, working closely with the local community. The project first reached West Angeles in 2002.
The further development of the project has been greenlit by the Federal and Western Australian governments, having received all necessary approvals. With the new developments, the hub’s total annual iron ore production will operate at a capacity of 35 million tonnes.
“The West Angelas Sustaining Project is built on strong and committed partnerships, both with the joint venture members Mitsui and Nippon Steel, as well as the Yinhawangka and Ngarlawangga peoples,” Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Matthew Holcz said.
“The West Angelas hub has been an integral part of Rio Tinto Iron Ore since 2002. Securing these approvals ensures ongoing investment in the hub as we continue to supply high-quality, reliable iron ore to meet our global customers’ demand now and into the future.”
The project’s expansion will create about 600 jobs during construction and sustain a workforce of 950 full-time staff once operational. It will use existing West Angelas processing infrastructure while adding 22km of haul roads and new non-process facilities.
Rio Tinto states that ore mined at the new deposits will be autonomously transported to the West Angelas hub, with the first haul scheduled for 2027.
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