Buried in the mountains of southeastern Guinea, the Simandou deposit is considered the largest unexploited deposit of iron ore in the world, with an exceptional content exceeding 65%. Structured into 4 mining blocks, it has a projected production capacity of 95 million tonnes of iron per year. The SIMANDOU 2040 Program, initiated by the President of the Republic, H.E Mamadi DOUMBOUYA during a Council of Ministers in May 2024, draws on this colossal potential deposit to build a national roadmap of rare ambition, 200 billion dollars of investment over 15 years, articulated around 5 strategic pillars.

An integrated model, beyond extraction

What distinguishes SIMANDOU 2040 from previous African mining adventures is the assumed break with the logic of simple export of raw materials. The program is based on an integrated Mines–Infrastructure–Industrialization model. Concretely, this translates into the construction of a 670 km double-track railway connecting the mining sites to the deep-water port of Morebaya, the establishment of a steelworks for the local processing of ore, and the development of special economic zones. More than 5 billion dollars are specifically earmarked for Guinean companies, while the “Simandou Academy” initiative guarantees a transfer of technological skills for the benefit of nationals. the International Monetary Fund (IMF) anticipates an increase in Guinean GDP of 26% by 2030 thanks to Simandou, and GDP growth could reach 10% from 2026. On the social level, more than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs are expected. For Africa, the impact goes beyond the numbers. Multiple-use rail and port infrastructures open regional trade corridors that could boost trade between West African countries. Guinea, already reclassified as the 2nd economy in French-speaking West Africa after the rebasing of its GDP estimated at 37 billion euros in 2024, is establishing itself as a model of sovereign valorization of natural resources.

SIMANDOU 2040 is not just an economic program, it is a philosophy of governance of a visionary Leader. The Guinean state holds 35% in mining and 51% in infrastructure, alongside partners like Rio Tinto, Chalco and the IFC. This capitalistic architecture makes Guinea a strategic player, and not a simple profit-making territory. If the bet is met, Simandou could become the first African example of a successful transformation of natural capital into sustainable human development, a model that an entire continent is observing with attention.