Metro Mining, Australia’s only pure play bauxite producer, achieved a record amount of annual bauxite shipments in 2024, marking a significant milestone for the company.
Metro Mining shipped 5.7 million wet metric tonnes (wmt) from its Bauxite Hills mine last year, a 24 per cent increase from the total shipments recorded in 2023.
Unfortunately, the company was unable to meet its 2024 shipping guidance due to adverse weather conditions in the month of December that resulted in the last cape vessel in its shipping schedule being cancelled.
In spite of this, Metro Mining delivered record shipments for the month of December, shipping 480,000wmt. This was a 53 per cent increase from the total shipments recorded in December 2023.
The December 2024 monthly results also brought the company’s total shipments for the December 2024 quarter to 2.1 million wet metric tonnes, with a further 100,000wmt loaded in the first five days of January 2025.
“Record December shipments were achieved despite 10 days of adverse weather conditions, including wave heights of up to 3.5m, impacting production and transhipping operations, and the offshore floating terminal, Ikamba, ceasing operations for two days for a maintenance shutdown,” Metro Mining said.
“Pleasingly, during the period of adverse weather, Ikamba demonstrated good operational resilience, remaining offshore and able to safely take advantage of loading windows where in the past no transhipping would have occurred. This operational capability can now be factored into future planning for an extended operating season.”
Following a successful first trial capesize cargo in 2024, Metro Mining has locked in a new multi-cargo offtake contract for 2025 with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), which will see Metro Mining shop to EGA’s high temperature alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi.
The Bauxite Hills mine is located 95km north of Weipa on Western Cape York, near the coast on the Skardon River in far north Queensland. Mining operations commenced at the site in April 2018.
Metro Mining made its final investment decision on the mine’s expansion route to seven million tonnes per annum (mpta) in May 2023. The company’s target shipment range for 2025 is 6.5–7 million wet metric tonnes.
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