About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto produces iron ore for steel, aluminium for cars and smart phones, copper for wind turbines, diamonds that set the standard for responsible sourcing, titanium for household products, and borates for crops that feed the world.
Visit About Rio Tinto
About Rio Tinto
Simandou project
In close and transparent collaboration with our partners, stakeholders and local communities, Rio Tinto will deliver on the promise of the Simandou project to international standards of operational health and safety, governance, social wellbeing, and environmental stewardship.
Visit Simandou project
Simandou project
Communities
Mining and processing, by its very nature, can have disruptive impacts on the environment, including on local communities. At the same time, mining also delivers significant economic and social benefits to communities, including employment, local business development, tax and royalty streams, as well as education and health programmes. Our goal is always to maximise these benefits and minimise any disruptive impacts as much as possible.
Visit Communities
Communities
Media
Visit Media
Media
Press release
Stories
Environment
Producing the materials the world needs means we have an impact on the environment. We work in remote locations and sensitive environments, where our activities have the potential to cause harm through pollution or land disturbance.
Visit Environment
Environment
Opportunity For People
The Simandou project is imminently due to become the world’s largest greenfield mining project and the largest ever undertaken on the African continent. This once-in-a-generation megaproject will not only place Guinea on the world stage as a top global producer of high-quality, low impurity iron ore, it will also set a new benchmark for large scale project development throughout the region.
Visit Opportunity For People
Opportunity For People

Select your location

Guinea

FRENCH

Global

English

Canada

English

French

Mongolia

English

Mongolian

Japan

Japanese

Serbia

English

Srpski Српски

Simandou’s first iron ore ship sails from Guinea

December 3, 2025

An important milestone in the testing and commissioning of the entire port and rail infrastructure

Forecariah, Republic of Guinea – SimFer, the joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Guinea, Rio Tinto, and the Chalco Iron Ore Holdings (CIOH) consortium led by Chinalco, has announced the departure of its first shipment of high-grade iron ore from the Moribaya Port in Forecariah.

From Moribaya port, the ore was transported offshore before being loaded onto a deep-sea vessel. The shipment is destined for steel producers in the global market. This integrated logistics chain, combining nearshore operations with deep-sea loading reflects years of coordinated engineering, planning, and execution. Once commissioning of the system is complete, SimFer production is expected to ramp up over approximately 30 months to 60 Mtpa.

Recognised as one of the highest-grade iron ore deposits in the world, Simandou positions Guinea to become an emerging player in the global mining sector. As the project enters its next phase, the ambition is to support broad-based national transformation through job creation, industrial development, and a new economic corridor that will deliver lasting benefits across the country.

Chris Aitchison, Simfer Managing Director, said:“This first shipment is a moment of immense pride and promise for our teams and partners. It reflects years of commitment, determination, and collaboration. We are honoured to play a role in unlocking the potential of Simandou and delivering this project responsibly to ensure long-term benefits for communities, the economy, and Guinea’s future.”