Tugs maneuver the 400,000-ton ocean-going vessel Ore Tianjin to a berth at Zhoushan Port, Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang Province on November 21, 2024. Photo: VCG

The Simandou iron ore mine project - Africa's largest greenfield integrated mine and infrastructure project — started operation on Tuesday, with an inauguration ceremony being held at the port of Matakong in Guinea, according to a post on the WeChat account of China Baowu Group, a key investor and developer of the project, on Wednesday.

The project is delivering more than 600 kilometers of new multi-use trans-Guinean rail together with barge and transhipment vessel port facilities. Following commissioning and upgrade, this infrastructure will support a combined total of up to 120 million tons of iron ore exports per year, according to a post on the WeChat account of Rio Tinto, another project investor and developer.

The Simandou iron ore project in Guinea is one of the world's highest-quality and largest-scale mining projects, encompassing systems for mining, railways, and ports, with a total investment exceeding $20 billion, according to the China Baowu Group's post. 

The successful commissioning of the Simandou Project marks an important milestone in the history of global mining. Once the project reaches full production and stable operation, it will provide a solid foundation of green raw materials for the development of the Chinese and global steel industries, while also injecting lasting momentum into Guinea's economic and social development, Hu Wangming, China Baowu's chairman, was quoted as saying in the post. 

The Simandou iron ore mine project is an important outcome of the solidarity and coordination between China, Guinea and relevant parties. "China extends warm congratulations on its inauguration. China stands ready to work with relevant parties to help people in Guinea convert their resource endowments into more robust development strengths for mutually beneficial cooperation," a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.