Metro Mining ships 756,000 WMT of bauxite in August as Ikamba returns to full strength

Metro Mining has ramped up bauxite shipments from its Bauxite Hills Mine in Cape York, Far North Queensland, after its offshore floating terminal Ikamba returned to full strength in late July.

The Australian bauxite producer shipped 756,000 wet metric tonnes (WMT) of bauxite in August 2026, marking an 8 per cent increase from July, according to its September 16 operational and marketing update.

The August performance also put the spotlight on Ikamba’s ability to operate independently. With the offshore floating terminal back at full capacity, it handled the month’s shipments without the contribution of the TSA Skardon, which was undergoing dry-docking.

The TSA Skardon has now completed its dry-docking and is scheduled to return to site in mid-September, just as shipping conditions are expected to become favourable.

Metro Mining has retained its 2026 shipment guidance of 6.6 million to 7.1 million wet metric tonnes. The latest August figure therefore comes as the company moves into the final months of the calendar year with both its offshore terminal and vessel capacity available.

Metro Mining is an autonomous bauxite miner, with its 100 per cent owned Bauxite Hills Mine operating on the Weipa bauxite plateau approximately 95 kilometres north of Weipa, near the coast on the Skardon River.

Metro Mining produces a high-alumina bauxite, shipping directly to customers in very large ore carriers. Metro Mining recognises and has productive agreements with the Traditional Owners of the land on which it operates and is proud of its high percentage of indigenous employees and the economic impact it has in Cape York and Far North Queensland.