The biggest mining project in the world, a China-backed effort that could go ahead and deepen the control of Beijing over the mineral resources of Africa, has started its operations in Guinea on November 11, 2025.
Notably, the $23 billion Simandou iron-ore mine could as well spark an international revolution by going ahead and massively decreasing the energy that is required to produce steel. The high concentration of iron that has been found in the mine needs mills to make use of less energy in order to melt the metal. This biggest mining project in the world could also greatly boost the prospects of Guinea, as the country forecasts that its GDP could also quadruple by 2040, therefore potentially making it the third largest iron ore producer in the world.
However, the critics fear that the growing dominance of China over the mineral resources in Africa could also lead to environmental damage. Recently, the Democratic Republic of Congo went on to suspend the operations of a Chinese-owned mine owing to the pollution of a local river.