Fortescue Metals Group chief executive Elizabeth Gaines has confirmed the miner will begin producing its new higher-grade West Pilbara Fines iron ore product from next month.

Speaking at the company’s annual meeting yesterday, Ms Gaines said the new 60 per cent iron product would comprise a blend of ore from Fortescue’s Firetail mine and newly developed areas to the west of its Cloudbreak mine in the Pilbara.

Fortescue expects to begin exporting the product at a rate of between 10 million tonnes a year and 20mtpa, ramping up to 40mtpa as its new Eliwana mine comes online at the end of 2020.