Yilgarn Iron completes first shipment
Yilgarn Iron completes first shipment
Yilgarn Iron has completed its first shipment with more than 176,000t of iron ore loaded through the Port of Esperance in WA.The five-day operation saw iron ore loaded onto the bulk carrier MV Densa Shark, which departed for China on Saturday.The shipment comes less than 12 months after Mineral Resources' (ASX: MIN) final export from the Koolyanobbing operations in the Yilgarn Hub, which were acquired by Yilgarn Iron Investments in June.Southern Ports chief executive officer Keith Wilks says having Yilgarn Iron come on board as the Port of Esperance's second iron ore exporter less than a year on from the operations ceasing in the Yilgarn is a great result."Two customers using our iron ore infrastructure means more volume and more shipments from our Port of Esperance, which ultimately means more hours for our workforce on the ground,” he said."Trade losses are never easy to weather, but by proactively pursuing opportunities to diversify our customer base and commodity throughput we continue to be a reliable partner creating enduring value across our regions."At full production, Yilgarn Iron is targeting annual exports of more than 4mt, supporting the creation of up to 15 new operational roles at the Port of Esperance in early 2026 and increasing the port's operations workforce by more than a third.Yilgarn Iron Investments managing director Fergus Campbell comments on the shipment."Exporting our first 176,000t within less than four months of assuming control of the Yilgarn Iron Ore project is a testament to our hardworking and dedicated team, as well as to our suppliers and service providers, including Southern Ports and Aurizon,” he said.Yilgarn Iron becomes the second customer to use the port's iron ore circuit, joining Gold Valley, which has exported almost 2.5mt of iron ore through the Port of Esperance since its first shipment in October 2024.
