China advances iron ore project

The government of Guinea has announced plans to develop the Simandou iron ore mine. The mountain range in southern Guinea is believed to contain the largest untapped deposit of high-grade iron ore. The mine could thus become the largest on the continent. A port and rail infrastructure are also planned. Commodity companies Rio Tinto and China Baowu Steel are involved in the project, as is the Winning Simandou consortium. Previous attempts to exploit the iron ore deposit had failed due to ownership and infrastructure disputes as well as political upheaval in Guinea. ajs