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Simandou: year one in production
110 km of hills in south-eastern Guinea, presented as among the world's largest high-grade iron ore reserves (specialist press, to be corroborated): the project entered production in 2025 after 30 years of waiting.
● Official — MMG N°302025 timelineUpdated 31 Oct 2026
Contents
Numbered sections — jump in or read in order
01 The project in figures
110 km
Of mountain range
Simandou — Forest Guinea
650 km
Transguinean railway
MMG — 100% complete in 2025
1.53 Mt
Iron ore produced in 2025
MMG — first year
11/11/2025
1st commercial shipment
MMG — Moribaya port
02 2025 timeline
- Transguinean railway: 650 km of track, 100% complete; ~20 locomotives received by the TransGuinean Company (CTG).
- 11 November 2025: first commercial shipment of Simandou iron ore (11h11 — a nod to the deposit's name).
- Moribaya port: two operators load there — WCS and Rio Tinto Simfer.
- 2025 production: 1.53 Mt — gradual ramp-up towards full capacity.
- Local content: WCS local-content forum as early as June 2023; infrastructure clauses (rail, port) written into the conventions.
The 'Chinese model' of negotiation: the SMB experience (Dapilon-Santou railway, 135 km, delivered turnkey in 2021) shows infrastructure can be negotiated into conventions — a precedent for the next deposits.
03 The players
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) | Co-developer — north block, infrastructure |
| Rio Tinto Simfer | Co-developer — south block |
| Baowu | Strategic investor (Chinese steel) |
| Chinalco / Aluminium Corp. of China | Reference shareholder |
| TransGuinean Company (CTG) | Railway operator |
| Guinean State | 15% stake in the mining block (convention) |
Sources: MMG N°30, specialised press — detailed stakes to be checked against published conventions.
04 Related
Iron ore — 2025 data
Production, exports, iron ore price.
SEE IRON ORE →Live iron ore price
The 62% Fe curve over 3 years.
SEE PRICES →What Simandou will bring
The mining tax system the project is subject to.
SEE TAXES →The rail & the port
The 650 km Transguinean corridor unlocking the deposit towards Moribaya.
SEE THE RAILWAY →