Three 1200-tonne beneficiation modules have arrived on site and another three are due this month for construction of the processing facility at Rio Tinto’s Amrun bauxite project.

West Australian supplier Civmec was awarded the $160 million contract to construct the beneficiation plant and associated water, electrical and lighting systems for the project.

Fabrication, pre-cast manufacture and assembly work for the new facility have been taking place at Civmec’s Henderson facility in Perth, Western Australia.

About 350 employees including subcontractors have been employed to work on fabrication and another 120 on module assembly.

“Fabrication of these components has showcased best practice Australian manufacturing using 4000 tonnes of Australian steel,” Rio Tinto Amrun project director Marcia Hanrahan said.

“Construction of the processing facility has created hundreds of jobs in Western Australia, in addition to our current Amrun workforce of around 1200 in Queensland.

“Almost 80 per cent of the Amrun workforce are Queenslanders, including 176 indigenous employees of which 43 are local Aboriginal people.

“We are proud of the supplier and employment opportunities we have created for Australians and there will be more to come.”

The beneficiation modules will form the central facility of the plant where bauxite from the Amrun mine will be washed and screened onsite before being shipped to customers.

In October a heavy load vessel transported three beneficiation modules and a transfer tower into the Port of Weipa.

The modules each weigh more than 1200 tonnes, with dimensions of up to 16m wide, 25m long and 30m high.

The remaining three modules are currently being fabricated in Perth and will arrive in mid-November.