The President of the Republic of Guinea joined representatives of WCS, Baowu, Chinalco and Rio Tinto to mark the start of operations at the Simandou project, which includes new port and shipping infrastructure designed to handle large-scale iron ore exports, Rio Tinto said in a news release.
The ceremony took place at the newly developed port facilities in Forécariah prefecture. As part of the project, more than 600 kilometres of trans-Guinean multi-use railway now connect the Simandou mining concessions in the southeast to the Atlantic coast, where new barge and Transhipment Vessel terminals have been built. Once fully commissioned, the network will enable the export of up to 120 million tonnes of iron ore annually from operations managed by SimFer and WCS.
Testing and commissioning of the mine, rail and port systems are underway. Both WCS and SimFer have begun transporting ore from mine gate to port, marking the first integrated rail-to-ship operation of this scale in Guinea. The logistics system is designed to support bulk carriers through transshipment operations off the Guinean coast, improving export capacity and reducing congestion risks at deepwater ports.
The infrastructure has been jointly developed by the Government of Guinea, SimFer and WCS. Following commissioning, all assets — including rolling stock, barge terminals and transshipment facilities — will be transferred to Compagnie du TransGuinéen (CTG), which will operate the network. CTG’s equity is divided between SimFer (42.5%), WCS (42.5%) and the Government of Guinea (15%).
Djiba Diakité, Minister and Chief of Staff to the President, said the start of operations “marks a foundational milestone” for Guinea’s economic transformation and strengthens its position in West African trade routes. Winning Consortium Chairman Sun Xiushun described the launch as a result of “strong partnership” and “years of hard work.” Rio Tinto Chief Executive Simon Trott highlighted the integration of mining, rail and shipping assets, calling Simandou “an exceptional new source of high-grade iron ore” for low-carbon steel production.
Chinalco President Wang Shilei said the new maritime infrastructure represents “pragmatic cooperation between China and Guinea,” aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative. Hu Wangming, Chairman of China Baowu Group, said the project will ensure a “stable supply of low-carbon raw materials” for the steel industry while contributing to Guinea’s logistics and industrial capacity.
Rio Tinto Group is a global mining and metals company headquartered in London. It operates major iron ore shipping routes from Australia and Canada and manages export terminals supplying steelmakers worldwide.
