East African Mining News Unearthing Mining Opportunities in East Africa
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Guinea has shipped its first iron ore from the long-stalled $24 billion Simandou development, signalling the long-awaited operational start of one of the world’s most valuable untapped mineral deposits and marking a turning point in West Africa’s role in global steel supply chains.
A deep-sea vessel carrying 200,000 tonnes of high-grade ore departed the Port of Morebaya at 5:30pm on 2 December 2025, according to the Securities Times. The shipment is headed for the Port of Majishan in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province and is expected to arrive around 15 January 2026, allowing for the three-to-four-week voyage and additional port handling. The departure marks the transition of Simandou from decades of promise to active exports, activating the project’s integrated industrial chain that links mining operations to the newly built 600-kilometre railway and deep-water port.
Simandou has been one of the world’s most sought-after iron ore assets for more than 20 years, yet progress repeatedly stalled amid political instability, corruption allegations, legal disputes and the challenge of constructing major infrastructure across difficult terrain. In 2022, Guinea halted activity to renegotiate terms and ensure national interests were safeguarded then work resumed in March 2023 following a government-led reset of the project.
Major engineering progress has followed. China Harbour Engineering Co, a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Co, secured the contract to dredge the port’s entrance channel and basins. The 21-month programme has supported the coordinated advancement of mining, railway and maritime operations. Several consortium-backed.
