Rio Tinto and its joint venture partner Hancock Prospecting will spend US$350 million on a fast-tracked expansion of the Hope Downs iron ore project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Upon completion of the expansion, expected by early 2009, the mine will have a capacity of 30 million tonnes per annum.

Work on the initial 22 million tonnes per annum project started in April 2006 at a cost of US$1 billion with first production expected by early 2008.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Sam Walsh says: "The rapid expansion of Hope Downs is an integral part of our plans to lift annual iron ore production in the Pilbara to 220 million tonnes by early 2009.

"Thanks to continued strong market conditions we have been able to bring this expansion forward by one year. We are also investigating other opportunities to increase our Australian iron ore business to about 320 million tonnes in the future."

Hancock Prospecting chairman Mrs Gina Rinehart says: "We are delighted to be part of the bringing forward of stage 2 of the Hope Downs development at Hope South."

Hope Downs is a high-grade Marra Mamba iron ore deposit. It will contribute to the Pilbara Blend, the new product that was first shipped in July and comprises Brockman and Marra Mamba ore extracted from nine of Rio Tinto Iron Ore's 11 mines in the Pilbara.