Lower-grade iron ore product made up 20 per cent of Rio Tinto's Pilbara shipments during the December quarter, as the company progresses new project delivery in a delicate approvals environment.
Rio Tinto has confirmed a $US251 million ($375 million) deal to sell the Lake MacLeod salt and gypsum operation in Carnarvon to privately-owned Leichhardt Industrials Group.
A potential sale is on the cards for a Carnarvon salt mine majority owned by Rio Tinto, although operators say there's no certainty a deal will be struck.
Leichhardt Industrial's $280 million solar salt project in the Pilbara has received a major boost, with Melbourne's billionaire Smorgon family buying a 20 per cent stake in the project.
Leichhardt remains confident it will be able to deliver its $280 million Pilbara salt mine by 2027, despite news today the plan would be subject to a public environmental review.
The state government has awarded lead agency status to the Eramurra Solar Salt project, one of three planned salt projects in northern WA collectively worth $1.4 billion.
