Amrun up and running

A MILESTONE has been reached in the construction of Rio Tinto’s colossal Far North bauxite project, Amrun.

The resources giant awarded a $100 million contract to Aggreko Australia Pacific for the development of a new 20MW power station at the Cape York site.

A team of 20 Aggreko employees, including engineers and project managers, is expected to complete the installation by December this year before the power plant goes live next April.

Between Weipa and Aurukun, Amrun is on track to begin bauxite shipping in the first half of 2019.

The $2.6 billion investment was announced in late 2015 and, during peak construction, will provide work for about 1100 people.

“The contract to build this power station signifies another important milestone for delivery of the Amrun project,” said Rio Tinto’s Amrun project general manager, Marcia Hanrahan.

“We look forward to partnering with Aggreko on this exciting new venture.

“The power delivery expertise and operational capabilities that the Aggreko team will bring will be critical to the success of our operations.”

Aggreko has been operating in Australia since 1980, employing more than 300 people across 22 locations.

“Our people on the ground in Weipa and the wider Aggreko team look forward to working with Rio Tinto on this project,” said Aggreko Australia Pacific managing director George Whyte.

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