Rio Tinto to invest $1.9 billion in Queensland bauxite expansion
Rio Tinto is committing $1.9 billion to develop the Kangwinan bauxite project in Queensland as it prepares to replace output from its ageing Andoom mine. The investment is set to raise annual production capacity at the company's Weipa operations and support longer-term supply as other regional mines approach closure.
Highlights
- Rio Tinto will invest $1.9 billion in the Kangwinan project to add 20 million tonnes of annual bauxite production in Weipa by 2032.
- The Kangwinan project will replace Andoom mine output and lift Weipa's annual bauxite production capacity from about 38 million tonnes to 44 million tonnes.
- The development mitigates the 2029 Gove mine closure impact and, with the Aurukun acquisition, secures Rio Tinto's long-term Australian bauxite portfolio.
Project timeline and production strategy
As reported by Reuters, Rio Tinto says the Kangwinan project will add 20 million tonnes of annual bauxite production in Weipa, with first output targeted in 2029 and full production expected by 2032.Weipa, in Queensland, is one of the world's largest bauxite mining complexes and supplies ore used to make alumina and aluminium for construction, transportation, packaging and renewable energy infrastructure. Kangwinan is set to replace production from the Andoom mine near Weipa as that operation reaches the end of its life this decade, while increasing Weipa's annual production capacity to about 44 million tonnes from around 38 million tonnes currently.
Regional supply outlook and portfolio impact
The development also helps offset the planned 2029 closure of Rio Tinto's Gove bauxite mine in the Northern Territory, strengthening the group's longer-term bauxite position in Australia.The announcement follows Rio Tinto's agreement last month to acquire the adjacent Aurukun Bauxite Project from Glencore and Mitsubishi, subject to regulatory approvals. Rio Tinto says the combined Amrun, Kangwinan and Aurukun operations are expected to support its Weipa bauxite business well beyond the middle of the century.
Our earlier report on the proposed Port Qasim aluminium smelter in Pakistan detailed AsiaPak Investments’ plan for an export-focused project targeting more than $5 billion a year in shipments at full development. It explained how the smelter’s viability is tied to a back-to-back power purchase agreement with CPPA-G and a conditional settlement framework for the PQEPCL-CPPA-G late payment interest dispute, with approvals and timelines running into 2026–2028.
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