PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Mining major BHP’s A$4.88-billion South Flank iron-ore project, in the Pilbara, has reached its halfway mark.

The South Flank operation will leverage and expand on the existing Mining Area C hub, and is BHP's preferred option to replace the 80-million-tonne-a-year Yandi mine, which will reach the end of its mine life in early- to mid-2020.

First ore from the South Flank operation is being targeted for 2021, and the project ramp-up will coincide with the ramp-down of the Yandi operation.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan on Friday visited the Australian Marine Complex Common User Facility (AMCCUF) in Henderson where local steel fabricators and other suppliers are manufacturing mining infrastructure for the mine.

Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions have designed and are building the world's largest rail-mounted reclaimer as well as stackers, used to load and unload iron-ore, each with a capacity of 20 000 t/h.

Civmec is assembling 23 'smart modules' including conveyor shuttle and train loadout and feeder modules, a contract that has created an estimated 80 construction jobs alone, and in nearby Naval Base, Pacific Industrial Company has been awarded a contract to manufacture the reclaimer boom, tripper conveyor and equipment platform.

Through the AMCCUF, the state government is providing the large-scale industrial infrastructure required to secure local fabricators jobs on major resource projects such as South Flank.

“Collaboration between the AMCCUF and contractors working on BHP's A$4.88-billion South Flank is leading to jobs in Perth and the Pilbara region,” the Premier said.

"The companies involved in the design and manufacture of this world-class equipment at Henderson, Naval Base and elsewhere in the state show what Western Australian companies are capable of in delivering innovation and to global standards.

"The state government is working with both the iron-ore industry and its supply chain in identifying, and taking advantage of, international market and business development trends.”

The project is one of the world's biggest iron-ore operations, already integrating the latest advances in autonomous-ready fleets, autonomous blast hole drills, digital connectivity and module builds to allow components to be built remotely and transported to the Pilbara.