Robe River Joint Venture partners celebrate 50-year anniversary
October 27 2022 - 6:05PM
Business Wire
Representatives of the Robe River Joint Venture partners, Rio
Tinto, Mitsui and Nippon Steel, gathered in Perth last night to
celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the venture’s first shipment
of iron ore from the Pilbara to Japan.
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WA Premier Mark McGowan, Rio Tinto Iron
Ore CEO Simon Trott, Jiro Kobayashi, Executive Counselor Nippon
Steel, Motoaki Uno, Senior Executive Managing Officer Mitsui.
(Photo: Business Wire)
The event was attended by past and present executives of the
Joint Venture partners as well as local dignitaries including the
Premier of Western Australia, Hon. Mark McGowan MLA.
The celebration marked 50 years since the Fujisan Maru departed
Cape Lambert on 5 October, 1972, and set sail to Japan loaded with
68,589 tonnes of iron ore. Since then, the Robe River Joint Venture
has shipped more than 1.7 billion tonnes of iron ore.
In addition to the ongoing mining operations at West Angelas and
the Robe Valley, the joint venture has other major mining
infrastructure in the Pilbara, including an iron ore port facility
at Cape Lambert, power assets and heavy haul rail lines connecting
its operations. Its activities in the Pilbara have helped establish
the Pilbara mining towns of Pannawonica and Wickham. The benefits
created by the joint venture have flowed beyond the Pilbara and
Western Australia, helping to contribute to national and global
economic growth and development.
Mitsui Senior Executive Managing Officer Motoaki Uno, said “The
Robe River Joint Venture represents a remarkable achievement in the
development of the Pilbara's iron ore, and Mitsui is honoured to
have been a partner from the very beginning.
“It is wonderful to see how Australia and Japan at that time
joined hands together to create a whole supply chain. As Mitsui
looks ahead to the next 50 years, we will continue to work as a
proud partner to make a positive impact on the world in terms of
local communities and the environment, as well as the growth of
global industry.”
Nippon Steel Executive Counselor Jiro Kobayashi, said “It is
very impressive that Robe River Joint Venture has been supplying
iron ore to Nippon Steel as well as other steel mills in Asia for
50 years since the Fujisan Maru set sail in October 1972.
“Iron ore from Robe River Joint Venture has made a significant
contribution to our stable production of steel, which has led to
the development of Nippon Steel as well as the Joint Venture. We
would like to send our appreciation to the Western Australian
government and traditional owners for their support of these
developments.”
Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Simon Trott, said “The Robe
River Joint Venture is a remarkable partnership that has spanned
half a century and is at the heart of an incredible connection
between Australia and Japan, forged in a bold vision for shared
prosperity.
“I also want to acknowledge all the Traditional Owners of the
country on which the Robe River Joint Venture operates, the Robe
River Kuruma, Nglaruma, Yinhawangka, Ngarlawangga and Yindjibarndi
nations.
"Our partnership with Mitsui and Nippon Steel has been integral
in our journey to being a world-class iron ore business in Western
Australia and I am proud of the role the Robe River Joint Venture
has also played in the development of modern Japan.
“I thank our Joint Venture partners for their trust, respect and
understanding that has made this partnership so successful in
delivering a secure, long-term, low-cost source of quality iron
ore. In 50 years a lot has changed, but one thing that has remained
consistent is the strength of this highly valued partnership.”
Notes to editors
Robe River is a joint venture between Rio Tinto (53 per cent),
Mitsui Iron Ore Development (33 per cent), and Nippon Steel . (14
per cent).
Operations began in the Robe Valley, near Pannawonica, in 1972
followed by an expansion at West Angelas in 2002. Iron ore is
railed to the port of Cape Lambert where lump and fines product is
shipped to steel producers, primarily throughout Asia.
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