ArcelorMittal Liberia Phase II project is set to be a game changer for the global steel group as well as for mining in the West Africa sub-region.
Setup of the project, which was resumed in 2022 with a capacity of 15 million tons of iron ore concentrate, is making steady progress and is expected to be commissioned in Quarter four of 2024.
It consists of a state-of-the-art concentrator plant along with augmentation of the existing rail and port infrastructure to support the production and shipping of the concentrated ore.
The ArcelorMittal Liberia Phase II operations which are continuing in parallel to construction, are in the “Direct Shipping Ore” mode carrying a cost of 1.4 billion dollars.
Information from ArcelorMittal Liberia suggests that the Phase II implementation is progressing well, with significant headways already made across engineering, procurement, controls, and construction aspects.
The global steel company said construction standards are of some of the highest order with a clear focus on health and safety which remain a key priority.
To implement a project that is straightly safety compliant, ArcelorMittal Liberia’s Health Safety and Environment team is working closely with contractors to ensure they meet the company’s high bar for safety.
Globally, ArcelorMittal has a straight health and safety policy that outlines how the company says it works and uses equipment, “how we identify and manage risk, how we take responsibility for our own and others’ safety, and how we learn from accidents and near misses”.
When completed, AML believes the Phase II Project will become a significant strategic asset not just to its group of companies globally, but for Liberia in general as a support to its long-term vision of ore security.
Many believe this project will also have positive impacts on the local Liberian economy, with significant infrastructure upgrades, including road development, being taken up as part of phase 2 implementation.
In 2022, AML announced that its construction phase has already generated more than 3000 job opportunities for the local population, and operations of the new plant are also expected to drive significant employment generation.
There is an important push to retain and expand local representation at all levels of the company, including leadership roles.
AML said to achieve this, many initiatives have been taken up to upskill Liberian talent, including developing the ArcelorMittal Training Academy for which AML has invested more than 7 million.
On the overall, the Liberia Phase II Project is a vital strategic asset for ArcelorMittal, and its successful completion will have a positive impact on the local economy, generating dozens of employment opportunities and helping maintain Liberia’s leadership position in the global ore market.