Wabtec has landed $248 million order for Evolution Series ES43ACmi locomotives and services from Baowu & Winning joint venture Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) for rail operations on a high-grade iron ore project in Simandou, Republic of Guinea, West Africa. This order follows an earlier $277 million order from Rio Tinto joint venture SimFer for its Simandou operations. The combined orders for the project, valued at more than $500 million, represent one of Wabtec’s largest international locomotive contracts in the past five years. Deliveries begin in 2025.
The ES43ACmi is a dual-cab locomotive with a 4,500-hp Evolution Series engine. The locomotive, Wabtec says, “provides exceptional fuel efficiency and proven performance in harsh, high-temperature environments like eastern Guinea. It is also capable of meeting UIC 3a and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier 3 emission standards.”
The 385-mile, double-track, heavy-haul Transguinean Railway is under construction to connect the Simandou mine and the inland Port of Morebaya. The port is located on the east bank of the upper course of the estuary of the Morébaya River, in the province of Forécariah. The Simandou mountain range, located in the southeast of the Republic of Guinea, contains the world’s largest untapped reserve of high-grade iron ore. WCS is developing blocks 1 and 2 of the Simandou iron ore deposit, which currently account for more than 1.8 billion metric tons of estimated reserves.
“As the world’s largest untapped high grade iron ore deposit, Simandou represents a transformational economic opportunity for Guinea, and Wabtec’s commitment extends beyond delivering advanced locomotive solutions to ensure the success of this critical initiative in partnership with WCS and SimFer,” said Wabtec Regional Vice President Sub-Saharan Africa Mpilo Dlamini. “We are also committed to the development of Guinea by fostering local employment, developing indigenous talent and empowering local businesses to support the operation and maintenance of this vital rail network.”
“This locomotive order with Wabtec is another important milestone for the Simandou project,” said WCS CEO Zhang Cheng. “As work continues to build the TransGuinéen Railway, we will have the equipment resources in place that support the high international standards that we’ve committed to deliver.”
