Roy Hill

What Roy Hill does

Roy Hill is a large-scale iron ore mining, rail, and port operation located in the eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia, operating across more than 55,000 hectares and producing over 60 million tonnes of iron ore per annum as a core operating subsidiary of Hancock Iron Ore. The company is wholly owned by Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting following the 2024 merger of Roy Hill with Atlas Iron, which combined the two entities under a single Hancock Iron Ore banner with approximately 5,000 employees.

The operation is technically distinctive for running the world's largest fully OEM-agnostic autonomous mine, with 78 haul trucks converted to fully driverless operation through Epiroc's LinkOA system; these autonomous trucks have travelled over 6 million kilometres and moved nearly 295 million metric tons of material. Roy Hill has also partnered with Ecocene to deploy the Ecoda platform, integrating remote sensing, analytics, and AI for environmental rehabilitation and regulatory compliance. The autonomous fleet is reported to deliver 15-25% productivity improvements and 30-40% reductions in unplanned downtime, with 60-70% cost savings on mixed-fleet conversion compared to full fleet replacement.

Roy Hill sells iron ore as a global commodity to steel manufacturers, transported via an owner-operated rail link to Port Hedland for export, primarily to Asia. China is the dominant end-market, with CMRG serving as the sole authorized seller of Hancock iron ore in China following the resolution of a one-year import ban in October 2025. Sales are conducted through long-term supply agreements to enterprise steel customers at market-indexed commodity prices, with no disclosed pricing tiers or contractual minimums.

Name

Roy Hill

Legal name

Hancock Iron Ore

Website

https://royhill.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Roy Hill is a Pilbara-based iron ore mining, rail, and port operation producing over 60 million tonnes annually for global steel manufacturers, operating as a core subsidiary of privately-held Hancock Iron Ore under Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Iron Ore Mining

NAICS

Iron Ore Mining (212210), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000)

akta.pro primary industry

Iron Ore Mining Operations (Open-Pit & Underground) (IMAKAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mine Operations Contracting (Open-Pit & Underground Development, Production, Load/Haul) (IMAKAKAD), Iron Ore Tailings, Waste Management & Reclamation (Closure, Remediation) (IMAKAAAI), Mining & Underground Vehicles (LHDs, Underground Haul Trucks) (IMAHAIAD), Mine Surveying & Geospatial Services (Survey, Drone/LiDAR, GIS, Grade Control) (IMAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Iron ore mining
• Bulk commodity export
• Autonomous haulage
• Contract mining services
• Rail and port logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Welshpool

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Iron Ore Sales: Roy Hill produces over 60 million tonnes of iron ore annually, selling to steel manufacturers globally. The company operates as part of Hancock Iron Ore following the merger with Atlas Iron. Iron ore is sold as a commodity with pricing tied to global market rates.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Roy Hill operates a 55 million tonne per annum (now exceeding 60 Mtpa) iron ore mining operation in Western Australia's Pilbara region, extracting and exporting iron ore through an integrated heavy-haul railway and port facility at Port Hedland to global steel manufacturers. The business also provides owner-operated and contract mining services, leveraging the world's largest fully OEM-agnostic autonomous haul truck fleet of 78 driverless trucks.

Product overview

Hancock Iron Ore operates Roy Hill as a unified iron ore mining business following the merger of Atlas Iron and Roy Hill under the Hancock Prospecting group led by Executive Chairman Gina Rinehart. The core offering is iron ore production with an annual capacity exceeding 60 million tonnes. The operation integrates advanced autonomous haulage technology through Epiroc's LinkOA system (78 autonomous trucks) and environmental management via Ecocene's Ecoda platform. The combined entity provides both owner-operated and contract mining services, with Roy Hill serving as the primary production asset within the Hancock Iron Ore portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Iron Ore Production (Roy Hill Mine) Iron ore extraction and production from the 55,000-hectare Roy Hill mine in Western Australia's Pilbara, producing over 60 million tonnes annually for sale to global steel manufacturers via the Port Hedland export facility.
• Owner-Operated Mining Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 15-25% productivity improvement through autonomous operations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Epiroc ABcoreTechnology or Integration · 24 October 2025Epiroc AB and Hancock Iron Ore completed the conversion of all 78 haul trucks at Roy Hill mine from manual to fully driverless operations using Epiroc's LinkOA system, making it the world's largest OEM-agnostic autonomous mine. Most trucks were already operating autonomously with final deployment scheduled for December 2025.
• EcocenecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2025Ecocene partnered with Roy Hill in Australia to demonstrate its Ecoda platform, which integrates remote sensing, analytics, and AI to improve rehabilitation and regulatory compliance. The partnership supports nature-positive mine closure solutions and biodiversity ecosystem restoration.
• CMRGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCMRG became the sole authorized seller of Hancock's iron ore in China following resumption of purchasing after a ban that lasted over a year. The ban was linked to stalled negotiations over CMRG's exclusive selling rights for Roy Hill.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fortescue Metals Group: Major Pilbara-based iron ore producer operating a similar integrated mine-rail-port model with autonomous haulage ambitions. Closest direct competitor in geography, product, and customer base (China steel mills).
• BHP Group (Western Australia Iron Ore): Operates the largest Pilbara iron ore business (Newman, Mining Area C, Jimblebar) with significant autonomous truck deployment. Direct competitor in iron ore offtake to Asian steel mills and a benchmark for autonomous mining at scale.
• Rio Tinto (Iron Ore): Operates the Hamersley Basin mines in the Pilbara, producing ~330 Mtpa, with the world's largest autonomous haul truck fleet (AutoHaul). Closest peer on autonomous mining technology and Pilbara iron ore offtake.
• Vale SA: World's largest iron ore producer, headquartered in Brazil, supplying global seaborne iron ore markets including China. Comparable on product (iron ore fines, pellets), customer base (steel manufacturers), and commodity-driven revenue model.
• Anglo American (Kumba Iron Ore): Operates Kumba Iron Ore in South Africa, a major seaborne iron ore producer selling predominantly to Chinese and other Asian steel customers. Direct comparable on iron ore mining scale, customer base, and export-led business model.
• Champion Iron: Canadian-listed high-grade iron ore producer focused on the Bloom Lake mine in Quebec, exporting to steelmakers globally. Comparable on iron ore concentrate product, seaborne sales to steel manufacturers, and growth-oriented mid-cap mining model.
• Mineral Resources (MinRes): Australian-listed mining services and iron ore producer with Pilbara operations and a substantial contract mining business. Comparable on Pilbara iron ore exposure and the owner/contract mining dual model that now defines Hancock Iron Ore.
• Cleveland-Cliffs: Largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America and a significant iron ore miner, integrating mining and steelmaking. Comparable on iron ore mining operations and exposure to steel end-market demand cycles, though primarily serves North American rather than seaborne markets.

Broad incumbents

• Hancock Prospecting: Parent company of Roy Hill and Hancock Iron Ore, controlled by Gina Rinehart; broader mining portfolio across iron ore, lithium, and other commodities. Comparable as the consolidated enterprise entity but with a much wider scope than Roy Hill alone.

Regional players

• Atlas Iron: Former Pilbara iron ore producer now merged into Hancock Iron Ore; operated as a regional iron ore miner with significant contract mining exposure. Comparable historically as a Pilbara iron ore peer and now as part of the combined Hancock Iron Ore platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxfxsWw3_ERt637RxH93k4g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roy-hill

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roy Hill