Fortescue exports 1.5bn tonnes of iron ore

Founder and chairman Andrew Forrest celebrated the achievement during a visit by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to Fortescue’s Christmas Creek operations.

“From the start, Fortescue’s journey has been to unlock the potential of the Pilbara and build Australia’s economy through the export of iron ore to the developing world,” he said.

“Today, Fortescue is drawing on the talent and expertise of the entire Fortescue family as we build on our capability as a world-class resources company, rapidly evolving into a green hydrogen and energy producer to drive the global transition away from fossil fuels.

“It is with great pride that we welcomed the Prime Minister to our Pilbara operations in his first visit to the Pilbara region of Western Australia to demonstrate how Fortescue is leading the charge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, positioning us as a global leader in addressing the climate change challenge.”

Fortescue’s Pilbara operations were first established in 2003, with its first iron ore shipment disembarking from Port Hedland in 2008.

Over 8000 ships have departed Fortescue’s Herb Elliot Port in Port Hedland since 2008.

Fortescue chief executive officer Elizabeth Gaines welcomed the achievement.

“Since our first shipment in 2008, Fortescue has now exported over 1.5 billion tonnes to our customers in China and other markets,” she said.

“We are proud of our significant contribution to the Western Australian and national economies through jobs, investment and the flow of taxes and royalties.

“I would like to thank the entire Fortescue team, including our contractors and suppliers, for their hard work, commitment and contribution to our record performance in the past year and the achievement of this significant milestone.”