Rio invests $US395m in Pilbara plant

Rio Tinto will spend $US395 million ($A597 million) building a desalination plant in a two-year construction effort to increase water supply for communities and operations in the Pilbara.

With an expected completion date of 2026, the proposed dampier seawater desalination plant will have an initial capacity of four gigalitres annually, which could eventually be doubled to eight gigalitres.

The plant will be located at Rio’s iron ore port operations at Parker Point near the existing Water Corporation network, with the build tipped to start in 2024 subject to approvals.

Peak construction expected to support about 300 jobs.

The planned spend falls within Rio’s capital expenditure budget of between $9 billion and $10 billion in 2024 and 2025.

“We know that water is a scarce resource, particularly in the Pilbara,” Rio Tinto iron ore chief Simon Trott said.

“We are pleased that this desalination plant will help to secure future supply for Rio Tinto supplied communities in the West Pilbara as well as our coastal operations.”