On August 12, Chinese mining equipment major XCMG and mining giant Rio Tinto signed a global cooperation framework agreement in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. At the same time, XCMG and SimFer Company, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Chinalco Group, signed a statement of work for the Simandou mining project. This marks a significant step forward in developing the world’s largest untapped iron ore deposit.
In 2014, XCMG and Rio Tinto established a cooperation related to XCMG’s hydraulic cylinder products. The 400 t excavator hydraulic cylinder provided by XCMG has operated continuously for more than 20,000 hours in the Australian mining area, setting a new record for trouble-free operation of core components made in China.
Since then, XCMG and Rio Tinto jointly developed the GR2605 motor grader and XC9 series wheel loader; In 2021, a XCMG GR5505 grader was successfully delivered to Rio Tinto, which played an important role in the production and operation of the mine.
XCMG has now successfully won this bid for the Simandou mining project, and says it will provide a complete set of core mining equipment, including dozens of XDE240 230 t class diesel-electric drive mining trucks, plus 350 HP and 550 HP large mining graders, with the total contract amount of nearly 800 million yuan or US$110 million.
“Over the years, XCMG and Rio Tinto have forged a deep friendship in our joint cooperation, and we are very honoured to provide high-quality large-scale complete mining equipment for the Rio Tinto Simandou project…this will be a new starting point for high-level friendly cooperation between XCMG and Rio Tinto, and will further demonstrate XCMG’s leading technology and innovation capabilities in the field of mining heavy equipment,” said Liu Jiansen, Vice President of XCMG.
He added: “We are very pleased to win this heavy ‘Olympic gold medal’ for China’s large-scale complete sets of mining equipment industry. XCMG not only provides world-class products, but also is committed to supporting local community development, enriching training programs, increasing local employment opportunities, and contributing to the world-renowned Simandou project and the development of surrounding communities.”
Chris Aitchison, SimFer Project General Manager, said: “We are pleased to cooperate with the internationally renowned supplier XCMG. We are confident that this partnership will significantly boost local employment and skills development in Guinea, as well as boost investment in vocational and technical education to maximise the potential of the Simandou project.”
Aboubacar Koulibaly, President of Rio Tinto Guinea, said: “We are delighted to be working with XCMG, Together with this extraordinary project, the Simandou project can become a key driver of Guinea’s economic growth – spawning a new wave of investment, building the country’s industrial structure, and will also be a new starting point for our cooperation with XCMG.”
