This investment underpins the long-term future of its Weipa Operations and continued supply to its international customers and its Australian alumina refineries.
Kangwinan highlights Rio Tinto’s continued commitment to mining in Australia and will sustain its position as one of the world’s leading high-quality bauxite producers.
This brownfield investment will leverage Rio Tinto’s project execution capability and reflects continued application of the company’s disciplined capital allocation framework. It will add 20 million t of annual bauxite production capacity in Weipa, leveraging some existing infrastructure, with first output targeted in 2029 and full production expected by 2032.
The project will replace production from the Andoom mine near Weipa as it reaches the end of its life this decade, while increasing Weipa Operations’ annual capacity to about 44 million t, from current production of around 38 million tpy. It will also help compensate for the planned end of production at the Gove mine in the Northern Territory in 2029.
Rio Tinto Aluminium & Lithium Chief Executive Jérôme Pécresse said: “Kangwinan is a strong vote of confidence in Weipa, in the quality of its bauxite, the capability of its workforce, and the future of the communities and businesses closely connected to our operations.
“The project represents the most significant new mining investment in Queensland in recent years and is a sign of Rio Tinto’s long-term commitment to its bauxite business, the State, and our integrated mine-to-metal aluminium value chain.
“For more than 60 years, we have operated in Western Cape York, building a world-class bauxite business and enduring relationships with Traditional Owners and local communities. Cultivating and expanding that ongoing partnership will be critical to the long-term success of our operations.
“As Kangwinan moves forward, and with the planned acquisition of the Aurukun Bauxite Project, we will keep listening and working together to create lasting value for Western Cape York, while respecting the connection Traditional Owners have to Country and making sure they continue to benefit sustainably from our operations.
“This investment will support jobs, create opportunities for local and regional businesses, and help us continue supplying our customers with the high-quality bauxite they have relied on for decades.”
Kangwinan, where early works began in 2025, will establish a new bauxite production centre 15 km south-east of Rio Tinto’s Amrun mine, which is located 40km south of the town of Weipa. A 15 km conveyor will transport ore from Kangwinan to expanded stockyard facilities and the existing Amrun wharf.
The wharf will be expanded to accommodate larger capesize vessels, improving supply-chain efficiency and reducing freight costs.
Construction will ramp up in 2027 and is expected to support more than 1300 construction jobs. Longer term, the project will help sustain Rio Tinto’s residentially based workforce of around 1500 people in the Western Cape.
In addition to its Kangwinan investment, Rio Tinto last month agreed to acquire, subject to government approvals, the adjacent Aurukun Bauxite Project from current owners Glencore (70%) and Mitsubishi (30%) to support its long-term growth plans in Western Cape York, using existing and planned infrastructure. The combined Amrun, Kangwinan and Aurukun operations are expected to support Weipa Operations well beyond the middle of this century.
