Mining billionaire Robert Friedland’s latest venture, Ivanhoe Atlantic, is reportedly lobbying the US government to add high-grade iron ore to the country’s list of critical minerals. The move aims to align with Washington’s broader push to secure materials essential for military manufacturing, as part of a national strategy to boost defence capabilities.
The company’s flagship project, Nimba in Guinea, is expected to churn out 2 to 5 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore late this year. Production is set to scale up to 25 million tonnes annually within seven years.
“You can’t build battleships without high-grade, high-tensile steel, so I think there is going to come a point where it goes on the critical minerals supply list in the US,” Ivanhoe Atlantic president and chief executive, Bronwyn Barnes, said speaking at an industry event Wednesday.
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