[miningmx.com] — GLOBAL miner Anglo American’s iron ore output capacity could rise to above 150 million tonnes by 2020, an executive said on Tuesday, foreseeing a steady growth in crude steel production.
“Ramp ups and conceptual projects could raise (iron ore) capacity to in excess of 150 million tonnes per year by 2020 ,” Robert Brownlee, general manager for Europe and MENA at subsidiary Kumba International Trading, told a Metal Bulletin steel and iron ore conference in Dubai.
“We are confident that we will have the demand for it.”
Anglo’s total iron production stands at 45 million tonnes, Brownlee said.
“Projects in implementation or approved will push the capacity to around 80 million tonnes per annum,” he said, adding this could happen by 2013.
Global steel production is expected to grow steadily for at least the next five years and in his presentation Brownlee predicted global output to rise to about 1.5 billion tonnes by 2013.
Global crude steel production rose 17.5 percent year-on-year in the January to October period to 1.165 billion tonnes, figures from the World Steel Association showed in November.
Anglo subsidiary Kumba is on track to double its iron ore exports by 2013, Brownlee added.
