ArcelorMittal has officially opened a new iron ore concentrator in Nimba Province, Liberia, with a capacity of 20 million tonnes per annum. The inauguration was attended by Liberian President Joseph Boakai and ArcelorMittal Executive Chairman Lakshmi Mittal, marking a significant milestone in the company’s $1.8 billion Phase II expansion, which brings total investment in Liberia to over $3 billion. The new facility is among the largest in Africa for iron ore beneficiation and will boost annual production from 5 million to 20 million tons while improving ore quality by producing higher-grade concentrate.
Alongside the plant, ArcelorMittal upgraded critical infrastructure including the Tokadeh-Buchanan railway, a new port berth, and enhanced transshipment systems. The project created over 5,000 construction jobs and is expected to generate about 1,000 permanent positions. President Boakai hailed the project as a symbol of growing investor confidence and a catalyst for social and economic development.
ArcelorMittal plans further expansion to 30 million tons annually and aims to explore producing direct-reduced iron (DRI) quality concentrate. In early 2025, the company reported a 2.8% increase in steel production and a 15.7% rise in iron ore output year-on-year, underscoring its growing role in Liberia’s mining sector and the global steel supply chain.
