About 40 kilometres east of Newman, on the traditional lands of the Nyiyaparli people, sits one of the Pilbara’s most technologically significant iron ore operations. Originally known as McCamey’s Monster, the project received environmental approval in 1988, with mining beginning in the area during the early 1990s. The modern Jimblebar mine and processing hub achieved first production in 2013 and officially opened in April 2014. The US$3.6 billion development included a crusher, ore-handling plant, stockyard, rail duplication, workshops and accommodation village. Today, Jimblebar forms part of BHP’s Western Australia Iron Ore network, connecting Pilbara mines with approximately 1,000 kilometres of rail and export facilities at Port Hedland. It is held through an 85:15 joint venture between BHP and Japanese partners Mitsui and ITOCHU.
A PIONEER IN AUTONOMOUS HAULAGE:
BHP began testing autonomous Cat 793F trucks at Jimblebar in 2013. By 2017, it had become the company’s first fully autonomous truck operation. The site helped establish systems and operating practices later introduced across other BHP mines. According to BHP, truck automation at Jimblebar and Newman has reduced heavy-vehicle safety risks by 90 per cent.
TESTING BATTERY-ELECTRIC HAULAGE:
Jimblebar is now hosting two Cat 793 XE Early Learner battery-electric haul trucks through a collaboration between BHP, Rio Tinto and Caterpillar. The trucks have completed more than 100 operating hours and 200 test laps, generating data on safety, maintenance, charging infrastructure and commercial feasibility. The next phase will test dynamic energy transfer—charging the trucks while they are moving. This could help answer one of electric haulage’s biggest questions: how do you charge an enormous mining truck without taking it out of production?
A LONG FUTURE WITH MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
In December 2025, environmental approval was granted to consolidate Jimblebar, Orebody 18 and Orebody 31 into a larger combined hub. The proposal includes new mining areas, roads, conveyors, pipelines and supporting infrastructure, with a potential project life of up to 46 years. That scale also creates environmental responsibilities. Conditions cover water, rehabilitation, biodiversity and habitat protection—including exclusion areas for the threatened ghost bat. Jimblebar’s future will be measured by more than tonnes. It will depend on how successfully iron ore demand, technology, workforce development, Traditional Owner engagement and environmental responsibility are balanced. Jimblebar has already progressed from conventional mining to autonomous haulage. Its next chapter may show whether autonomous and increasingly electrified mining can operate successfully at genuine Pilbara scale.