Fortescue advances plans for Wyloo North iron ore project

The company intends to extract 12 million tons of ore per year from the deposit

Australian mining company Fortescue has submitted an application to the Western Australia Environmental Protection Authority for approval to develop the Wyloo North iron ore project with a capacity of 12 million tons per year in the Pilbara region. This was reported by Argus Media.

The company plans to develop Wyloo North over two years and then operate it for 13 years.

According to US investor Vox Royalty, Wyloo North ore has an iron content of 59.6%.

According to Fortescue, the operation of the deposit will increase the company’s emissions portfolio. According to the proposal, Wyloo North is planned to be powered primarily by renewable sources and batteries, but with the support of diesel generators to account for potential outages.

As Discovery Alert notes, Fortescue’s plans for Wyloo North demonstrate the evolution of satellite deposit development using existing processing infrastructure rather than building stand-alone facilities.

Wyloo North’s target production volume involves the use of the existing Eliwana processing complex. Located approximately 3 km from the existing infrastructure, the project eliminates the need for large transport networks.

As a reminder, Fortescue increased its ore shipments by 4% y/y – to a record high of 198.4 million tonnes in the 2024/2025 financial year (ended June 2025). Total ore production for the period increased by 10% year-on-year – to 238.9 million tons.