Ausenco successfully completed definitive engineering and was awarded an EPCM contract for the Corumbá Expansion Project.
The contract consisted of iron ore beneficiation and transportation of 10 mt/y from the mine near Corumbá, Brazil to capesize ships anchored in the Río de la Plata, Uruguay. Expansion plans to increase production to 20 mt/y were included.
The project included:
- Mining equipment fleet
- Beneficiation plant, complete with water supply
- A 30km overland conveyor with complex curves, from mine to river port
- Barge loading port with drying capability
- 19 tugs, 200 new barges, vessel maintenance facility, and logistics for transport of the product 2500km down the Paraguay and Parana Rivers
- Barge unloading and ship loading port on the Rio Uruguay
- Panamax shuttle vessels and transshipment facility transferring ore to capesize vessels anchored off Punta del Este.
The Corumbá Project Assets were sold to Vale in 2009. EPCM commenced but was not completed.
In December 2014, it was announced that Vetorial Siderurgia, a subsidiary of Vetria, holds the mining rights and is the current owner of the Corumbá mine. Vetorial Siderurgia is currently waiting for the government's authorisation and permits to be approved to continue with operations at the Corumbá mine and work on its expansion.