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 following the onset of the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014.
ArcelorMittal reported late last month 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 had been completed.
The feasibility study was revised in 2019 to apply best available technology
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