Rio Tinto and its joint venture partners Mitsui Iron Ore and Nippon Steel have announced a US$733 million investment to develop new iron ore deposits at the West Angelas hub in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Rio Tinto will contribute US$389 million to the West Angelas Sustaining project, which aims to maintain the hub's annual production capacity at 35 million tons and extend mining operations for several years. The construction phase will create approximately 600 jobs, with around 950 full-time positions sustained once operational, and autonomous trucking is scheduled to begin in 2027.

This project is part of Rio Tinto's broader replacement iron ore developments across Pilbara, supporting a total capacity of around 130 million tons per annum at the hub that has been operational since 2002. Additionally, Rio Tinto is conducting a pre-feasibility study for Rhodes Ridge, targeting an initial capacity of up to 40 million tons per annum with first ore expected by 2030.