The investment program will create 8,000 jobs during construction from 2011 to 2014 and more than 900 permanent jobs once completed. “ArcelorMittal Mines Canada is a flagship mining asset for the Group, which offers considerable opportunity for expansion. We have already announced our intention to grow our iron ore production to 100 million mt/y by 2015, and this expansion forms an important part of that,” said Peter Kukielski, head of mining for ArcelorMittal.

The Mont-Wright mine has reserves and resources of 1 billion mt of crude ore, grading approximately 30% iron. ArcelorMittal is currently evaluating increasing its production of iron ore pellets at Port-Cartier from 9.2 million mt/y to 18.5 million mt/y.

ArcelorMittal Mines Canada is ArcelorMittal’s most important source of iron ore. The company operates two large open-pit mines: one at Mont-Wright, the largest of its kind in North America, and one at Fire Lake. The Mont-Wright mining complex includes a concentrator, massive workshops and an automated concentrate train loading system. The site is linked by company rail to the Port-Cartier industrial complex, which includes a pellet plant, storage areas and port facilities for shipping. The company’s stockpile areas at Port-Cartier have a capacity for 2.5 million mt of concentrate and 1.7 million mt of pellets.

Port-Cartier has an annual shipping capacity of more than 20 million mt, making it one of Canada’s largest private ports. Marine traffic tops approximately 450 vessels a year.