Fortescue will begin building its Australian iron ore mine and rail project

Fortescue is set to begin construction on its $US2 billion ($3.1 billion) Australian iron ore mine and rail project within three years.

The company's subsidiary Chichester Metals proposes to develop and operate an iron ore mine approximately 80 kilometers north-west of Newman, WA.

The Nyidinghu iron ore mine proposal includes mine pits above and below the water table, on-site ore processing, waste rock and tailings storage, an aerodrome, groundwater abstraction, and surplus water management. The proposal excludes transport, electricity, and water pipeline infrastructure required to connect the project to existing operations, which is included in the East Hamersley railway project proposal.

A separate FMG subsidiary called Pilbara Infrastructure filed a proposal to the WA EPA for the East Hamersley railway project, which includes communications and signalling infrastructure, an ore loading facility, groundwater abstraction and discharge, borrow pits and quarries, culverts, bridges, diversion drains, pump station, construction camp, landfills and wastewater treatment plants, and other supporting infrastructure.