The Simandou iron mine is one of the world's largest high-grade iron ore deposits, with over 4 billion tons of ore between the north and south mines of the project. The mines are located in the prefecture of Kérouané for Blocks 1 and 2 and Beyla for Blocks 3 and 4, all in southeastern Guinea. For the ore evacuation, the project would require the construction of over 650 kilometers of railways from east to west Guinea, as well as the construction of ports on the coast at Forécariah. As of March 2023, the developers plan to open the railway and transport the ore by 2025, with nearly 120 million tons of iron ore to be exported annually.
The northern mine (blocks 1 and 2) is owned and operated by Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS), a joint venture owned by Winning International Group (45%), based in Singapore, Shandong Weiqiao Aluminum and Power Co., Ltd. (35%), a subsidiary of China Hongqiao, and the Guinean company United Mining Suppliers International (20%).
The southern mine (blocks 3 and 4) is owned and operated by Rio Tinto Simfer (Simfer S.A), a joint venture owned by the Guinean government (15%) and Simfer Jersey Limited (85%). Simfer Jersey Limited is a joint venture between Rio Tinto (53%) and Chalco Iron Ore Holdings (47%).
The railway and port belong to La Compagnie du TransGuinéen, a joint venture owned by Winning Consortium Simandou (42.5%), Simfer S.A (42.5%), and the Guinean government (15%). Subsidiaries of the construction conglomerate China Railway International Group, including China Railway 18th Bureau Group Co Ltd, have worked on the railway construction.
The diversity of actors involved with different practices and standards, the complexity of the project, and the high expectations of the stakeholders (especially the State) regarding the project's benefits, mean that the project requires special attention, particularly concerning respect for human rights.
Guinean civil society actors and international NGOs express concerns about the place reserved for communities impacted by the project, especially regarding environmental impacts and respect for other rights related to the development of this massive project.
Concerns have already been raised by Guinean organizations like ACTION MINES Guinea, which has written and published several reports on the negative impacts observed on communities, as well as analyses of the gaps between the EIA forecasts conducted by Winning Consortium Simandou and practices on the ground, impact reports on communities, and a press release drawing Rio Tinto's attention to the violation of the country's national laws.
International NGOs such as ACA and CTEA have produced alert sheets on the project's impacts on water resources, biodiversity, climate change, and the livelihoods of communities. All these concerns have been synthesized and shared by Bank Track on a profile for stakeholders.
The concerns and requests raised by civil society organizations in the various reports can be summarized as follows:
Transparency and Disclosure: This requires that mining companies WSC and Rio Tinto respond favorably to information requests from communities and civil society organizations regarding all contractual documents and project components in accordance with Guinea's legal framework and international standards and best practices.
Adequate Community Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement: Both companies (WSC and Rio Tinto) must commit to broad consultation and participation of communities and civil society actors in the project's implementation and the monitoring of socio-environmental impacts.
Effective and Accessible Grievance Mechanism: The civil society calls for Rio Tinto and WCS to independently or jointly develop an independent and effective grievance mechanism that significantly addresses community complaints related to the construction and operation of the Simandou project. Any grievance mechanism must comply with Principle 31 of the UN Guiding Principles, particularly concerning common infrastructures (ports and railways).
Implementation of High-Performing Environmental and Social Standards: The civil society demands that Rio Tinto and WCS adhere to the highest possible environmental, social, and human rights standards for the Simandou project's implementation, minimizing impacts in line with national regulations and freely subscribed norms and standards. This entails:
Rio Tinto and WCS reaffirming their joint commitment to implementing the Simandou project (port, railways, and mines) in line with IFC standards and the ECOWAS mining directive, among others.
Rio Tinto and WCS committing to audit their mining operations against the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard and publishing audit reports in accordance with the IRMA standard or other commendable audit norms.
WCS and Rio Tinto pledging to avoid negative impacts on groundwater reserves that could affect the availability of groundwater and/or surface water in neighboring communities.
Regular monitoring of dust emissions on roads by Rio Tinto and WCS; erosion/runoff control around railways and other related infrastructures, and noise reduction measures.
Ensuring appropriate measures to protect fishing communities; minimizing water pollution; establishing maritime traffic controls to protect fishing areas and fishermen's safety.
Just and Responsible Land Acquisition: Rio Tinto and WCS ensure that any resettlement and land acquisition comply with international and regional law, including the rights to adequate housing and food.
Biodiversity: Rio Tinto and WCS complete existing biodiversity analyses to better account for proximity to protected areas, valuable conservation landscapes and endangered species such as chimpanzees and other species. That they commit to implementing a biodiversity management plan with community involvement to adopt a participatory and inclusive biodiversity management strategy.
Climate Change: WCS and Rio Tinto consider the impacts on climate change throughout their projects' lifecycle and ensure that their operations comply with Guinea's nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement.
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