Phase 1 Completed of Expansion of Iron Ore Shipping Port at Robe River Joint Venture, Western Australia

Oct. 02, 2013

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation

Phase 1 Completed of Expansion of Iron Ore Shipping Port at Robe River Joint Venture,
Western Australia

The first phase of expansion of the iron ore shipping port at the Robe River joint venture (hereinafter, “Robe JV”) in Western Australia, an iron ore project jointly operated by Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (Representative Director, Chairman and CEO: Shoji Muneoka; hereinafter, “Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal”) and Rio Tinto (Australia & UK), one of the world’s leading mineral resource companies, has been completed. As a result, the annual shipment capacity of Cape Lambert Port will increase from 86 million tons to 139 million tons (reach a full run-rate in the first half of 2014).
Additionally, the second phase of the expansion of Cape Lambert Port, for which capital investment was recently determined, is currently in progress with a target of completion in 2015. This is due to expand annual shipment capacity to 209 million tons. In combination with expansion of the port and other infrastructure, we are investigating concurrent increases in supply from the Robe JV iron ore mines (the Robe Valley iron ore mine and the West Angelas iron ore mine), and will continue to contribute to improved supply capacity of iron ore in future.    

Robe JV Outline

1. History:
1972    Robe River iron ore shipments commence
1977    Equity participation by former Nippon Steel and former Sumitomo Metal
2000    Rio Tinto acquires North Ltd., makes equity participation
2002    West Angelas iron ore shipments commence
2009    Cape Lambert Port expansion (+23 million tons)
2010    Mesa A Mine iron ore shipments commence
2010    Cumulative total of Robe JV iron ore shipments reaches 1 billion tons
2010    Investment determined for Cape Lambert Port expansion Phase 1
        (+53 million tons)
2012    Investment determined for Cape Lambert Port expansion Phase 2
        (+70 million tons)

2. Shares in the Robe JV:
     Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal: 14%, Rio Tinto: 53%, Mitsui & Co., Ltd.: 33%


Wharf B, which was newly constructed in Phase 1 of the Cape Lambert Port expansion


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