Fortescue has reached a new major milestone, shipping 200 Mt of iron ore in a single year, for the first time in its history. The first Fortescue shipment left Port Hedland in May 2008. In that first year, 140 vessels delivered iron ore to its customers.
Today, more than 1,000 ore carriers leave port via its three ship loaders every year, carrying Fortescue’s Pilbara product to the world and turning Fortescue into the world’s most efficient iron ore producers. The new shipping record brings the total ore shipped by Fortescue to date, to more than 2.5 billion tonnes.
Fortescue Metals CEO Dino Otranto said: “Two decades ago, people said Fortescue was too ambitious, they said we’d never even get our ore to port. But, we’ve been proving them wrong ever since and now we’re setting new records, shipping 200 million tonnes to our customers every single year. We have delivered huge value to shareholders, opened up the Pilbara and built one of Australia’s greatest business success stories. We’ve come a long way and we’re not slowing down.”
He added: “From our first shipment to now, our Fortescue teams have shown what can happen when you stay nimble, move fast, back your people and never, ever give up.”
Backed by 20,000 people, the company says this historic milestone is a testament to the dedication and contribution of teams right across the business.
Will Lockyer from Port Operations, was part of the original team that loaded Fortescue’s first shipment. “This is a reflection of years of hard work from people right across the business, and that’s what this milestone is really about. In the early days everything was new and we were learning as we went. Over two decades we’ve seen technology advance and our operations become stronger, but what hasn’t changed is people who’ve grown alongside the business. It’s impressive to see just how far we’ve come, not just with the tonnes we’ve shipped, but as a team and one big Fortescue family.”
Fortescue Director Integrated Operations Katie Charuga said: “We couldn’t be prouder of reaching this incredible milestone. Shipping more than 200 million tonnes in a year takes enormous collaboration and discipline across every part of our supply chain. Every tonne mined, processed, railed and shipped depends on our Fortescue Family working safely together to deliver to our customers.”