NRW wins Rio Tinto contract

Rio Tinto has awarded mining contractor, NRW a $90 million contract for its Yandi Sustaining Project.

NRW will provide bulk earthworks at the Yandicoogina iron ore mine in the Pilbara.

The scope of work, which is designed to expand mine production capacity, includes more than one million cubic metres of excavation; more than 500 000 cubic metres of embankment construction; levee construction, culverts; the construction of a 48 metre long bridge of an operating rail line; and the construction of two floodways.

The contract commences late next month and is expected to run for over 40 weeks.

Around 300 workers are expected on site during peak construction.  The bulk of mining jobs generated by the contract will be for civil earthworks operators.

The contract award is a positive outcome, following BHP Billiton recently cutting back the scope of NRW’s work at Port Hedland.  This cut back result in an $80m reduction in NRW’s existing contracted works.