Heavy-haul freight
John Welborn (above), CEO of Equatorial Resources, was pleasantly surprised that it was possible to use the existing line from Mbinda to Pointe Noire to transport iron- ore. Photos: Equatorial Resources
hauling up to 37,000 tonnes of ore each, pulled by six GE ES44AC locomotives distributed in pairs throughout the train. The company plans to run nine loaded ore trains daily plus a fuel train from the port to the mine every two days. Track speed is pegged at 80km/h for loaded trains and 100km/h for empties, giving 36 hours for a round trip from the mine. Rio Tinto has been
prospecting in the Simandou range since 1996 and has committed over $US 3bn to the project so far. According to a Rio Tinto spokesperson, the company is currently finalising the engineering studies in relation to the railway works. “The rail SEIA was completed in September 2012 and is currently under review by the state,” he says.
In a key development in October, the state declared it a “Project of National Interest” which effectively protects land needed for the rail and port infrastructure from being bought or developed by third parties while the project secures the relevant rights. Meanwhile, early works which are part of the rail and port construction have begun. It is happier story for Rio Tinto than fellow miner Vale.
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The Brazilian group had proposed building a new line southwards from its planned Zogota mine at Simandou through Liberia. Production at Zogota
Central West Africa Ngovayang
Kribi Lolabé
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Belinga
Santa Clara Libreville
Owenda Booué N’Djole GABON Makoukou
was due to begin in 2012 but according to Reuters in November, Vale has since put the mine and railway on hold, citing “cool demand and opaque regulation.”
Nkout CAMEROON Mbarga Nabeba Congo For Equatorial Resources, Franceville
Mayoko Mbinda
CONGO
Makabana Mossendjo
Atlantic Ocean Dolisie
0 km 50 N
Pointe Noire
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Matadi
Existing lines Planned lines
ANGOLA IRJ Mount Bélo Brazzaville Kinshasa
the Australian miner currently busy developing a deposit in the Congo, the proximity of its mine to an existing heavy-haul railway was a rare stroke of luck. Equatorial’s Mayoko - Mossendjo Iron Project plans to transport its ore along a 285km 1067mm-gauge dedicated heavy-haul line built in 1962 to carry manganese from the north of the country to a connection at Mount Bélo on the Congo Océan Railway (CFCO) which links Brazzaville, the capital, to Pointe Noire on the Atlantic coast. “We were pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the rail system,” Welborn told IRJ. “While there are challenges, we can use [the line] right away.” In August 2010, Equatorial
Resources entered into a 25-year agreement with the Congolese government to use a 465km section of the railway
IRJ January 2013
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