Global steel major ArcelorMittal plans to restart the expansion of its iron-ore operations in Liberia this year, with first concentrate expected towards the end of 2023.
The company has been operating a five-million-tonne direct shipping ore project since 2011 and started an expansion to 15-million tonnes a year in 2013.
The Phase 2 project was brought to a halt when on-site contracting companies pulled out with the onset of the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014.
ArcelorMittal reported on Monday that it had completed a revised feasibility study for the modular build of a 15-million-tonne concentrator, with aligned mine, concentrator, rail and port capacity.
About $800-million would be required to complete the brownfield project, the steel giant said, noting that about 85% of the procurement had already been done and 60% of the civil construction was complete.
The feasibility study was revised in 2019 to apply best available technology and to replace wet with dry stack tailings treatment.
First concentrate is expected in the fourth quarter of 2023.