Premier Mark McGowan today officially opened Iluka Resources' Cataby mine in the Shire of Dandaragan.
The project, worth approximately $270 million, created 600 jobs during its construction phase and will sustain around 600 ongoing jobs across three Iluka sites during the 13-year life of the mine.
This includes 240 jobs at Cataby, 200 in Capel and 150 in Geraldton.Western Australia is the mineral processing hub of Iluka's Australian operations.
Overall, Iluka's mining, processing, rehabilitation and corporate activities employ approximately 800 WA workers.
Iluka expects average annual production from Cataby to be 200,000 tonnes of synthetic rutile (from 370,000 tonnes of ilmenite), 50,000 tonnes of zircon and 30,000 tonnes of rutile.
Synthetic rutile is an upgraded ilmenite product with increased titanium dioxide content.
Through its processing facilities at Capel, Iluka has the capacity to produce around 320,000 tonnes of synthetic rutile per annum.
The company's Narngulu mineral separation plant at Geraldton processes heavy mineral concentrate from Cataby and South Australia to produce rutile and zircon.
These mineral sands products are used in a range of industrial and household applications, including pigment, ceramics, titanium metal, water and air purification systems and fibre optics.
Full media statement: Premier officially opens Iluka Resources’ Cataby mine