Boost to Guinea-China Iron Ore Trade

The delivery of a new vessel type is expected to boost movement of iron ore from the Rio Tinto-led Simandou site in Guinea.

China’s CSSC Chengxi Shipyard has delivered the first of five transhipment vessels that will support the dry bulk conveyor belt from West Africa to China.

The 41,800 dwt self-unloader, mv Wontanara (meaning “we are together” in Soussou), is owned by SimFer, the joint venture bringing together Rio Tinto, Chalco Iron Ore Holdings and the Guinean government. Canadian self-unloading specialist CSL is also involved in the vessel programme.

The ship measures 215m long and 42m wide, a design draught of 7.5m, making it ideal for the waters in West Africa, and a 29,000 m³ cargo hold. It has five azimuth thrusters — two forward and three aft — that replace a conventional propeller-and-rudder arrangement. Wheelhouses at both ends allow the ship to operate in either direction. It can reach 12 knots in reverse in ballast and 10.5 knots forward when fully laden.

The vessel utilises two reversible longitudinal conveyor belts and twin C-shaped lifting systems, part of a high-capacity self-unloading system that was engineered by EMS-Tech, who confirm that it offers a number of key features to better support this cargo trade route, including:

• High Capacity: The EMS-Tech system features an unprecedented discharge rate of 12,000 metric tonnes per hour, making it the fastest specialized self-unloading system in operation
• Rapid Discharge Time: The system can completely unload the 41,800-tonne vessel in under 3.5 hours
• System Components: The setup includes patented feeder gates to maximize throughput, twin reversible longitudinal tunnel conveyors, two of the world’s largest “C” Loop elevating conveyors, and twin luffing, slewing, and shuttling ship loaders
• Positive Operational Impact on Simandou – the coastal waters of Guinea’s Morebaya Port are shallow, meaning ocean-going bulk carriers cannot dock directly at the terminal. The mv Wontanara acts as a high-speed marine shuttle by ferrying iron ore to Capesize vessels waiting offshore, bypassing the need for shore-based port cranes

SimFer has ordered five ships in this series. The second and third units were launched in May and June 2026, respectively, and are scheduled for delivery during the first half of 2027.

Once all five vessels are operating, Chengxi has stated that total transfer capacity will mean the ability to load a 200,000-dwt bulk carrier within 24 hours, reducing anchorage waiting times and supporting SimFer’s production ramp-up.

These new vessels will be serving Simandou blocks three and four, where Rio Tinto is the majority shareholder and managing partner and is expected to become one of the world’s most important new sources of high-grade iron ore.