rio tinto declared its intent to expand the hope downs mine, spending a further a$1.78 billion on its new hope downs 4 project, scheduled to produce 15 million tonnes of iron ore annually by 2013. rio has commenced construction on its new western turner syncline project. rio tinto allocated a further a$1.24 billion in early december 2010, to expand the brockman 4 mine to 40 million tonnes per annum, from 22, as well as develop its western turner syncline project, raising planned production there from 6 to 15 million tonnes, with the aim of increasing the pilbara production to 283 million tonnes per annum by late 2013. the expansion would make brockman 4 rio tinto's second-largest mine in the pilbara. the company has also begun further construction at the port at cape lambert, which is scheduled to undergo a further expansion, to be completed by 2012. the new expansion is scheduled to cost a$276million. the expansion is part of a plan to raise rio's annual production from the pilbara from 220 to 330 million tonnes annually by 2016. to achieve this, the cape lambert port capacity will be expanded to handle an additional 100 million tonnes annually.