Mineral Resources (MinRes) has announced a major milestone at its Onslow iron project in the Pilbara, with operations at the Port of Ashburton now running entirely on natural gas.
The move builds on the company’s broader energy efficiency strategy for its operations in Western Australia and includes a 14-megawatt gas-fired power station now connected to the Wheatstone Ashburton West gas pipeline.
Located approximately 150 km from the Ken’s Bore mine site, the port is a critical link in Onslow Iron’s supply chain, where iron ore is loaded onto purpose-built 20,000-tonne transhippers for transfer to bulk carriers offshore.
The gas transition is part of wider efforts by the company to become more energy efficient, with the company saying it has the capacity to displace approximately 60 million litres of diesel every year for power generation – supporting the critical link in Onslow’s iron supply chain becoming more sustainable.
“The introduction of a gas-fired power station at the port represents a major step towards delivering cleaner and more sustainable mining and export infrastructure,” MinRes power station operations manager Gary Stevens said.
“Bringing something of this scale together and operational is a huge piece of work and couldn’t be done without the team’s dedication, diligence and expertise,” Stevens said.
The adoption of gas-powered infrastructure at the Onslow Port also aligns with MinRes’ ongoing investment in greener technologies, supporting both operational efficiency and environmental responsibility.
In May 2024, the project delivered first ore on ship ahead of schedule and in August 2025 ramped-up production to nameplate capacity of 35 million tonnes per year.
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