Fortescue takes a pipe maker to court over the 'defective' water line at its troubled Iron Bridge mine
Fortescue is suing the manufacturer of a water pipeline at its Iron Bridge magnetite project, alleging defects, the Herald, The Age and the AFR reported. Iron Bridge opened in 2022 and has not reached its nameplate capacity of 22 million tonnes a year; Fortescue took a US$525 million impairment on it in its latest annual results, AAP reported. In January 2024 Fortescue cut shipment guidance because of the raw water pipeline, and a report said about 65 of its 220 kilometres needed replacing. The amount sought was not reported.
Recovering costs would help a project that has been a drag on Fortescue's earnings and on confidence in magnetite.
Fortescue is a large holding in many Australian share funds.
Suppliers should be accountable for faulty equipment.
Litigation is slow, and the project's problems go beyond one pipeline.
Watch the court filings for the sum claimed and the manufacturer's defence.
DailyDrop Australia edition No. 5 · Morning · FRI., OCT. 9, 2026