The first shipment from Guinea's Simandou iron ore mine has been stranded at anchor for over two weeks after loading began, with disputes over locomotives and geopolitical tensions delaying progress at one of the world's largest ore reserves, reported Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.

On November 11, loading started at Marabaia anchorage with 9,850 tonnes of ore placed aboard the Winning Youth, a 200,000-tonne Capesize bulk carrier run by project partner Winning International Group. Despite a floating transfer platform capable of shifting 5,000 tonnes per hour, the vessel has yet to leave port.

Industry sources said mine production is not the problem. The bottleneck lies in rail transport, with only four locomotives supplied by US-based Wabtec Corp. That allows just two engines per train, sharply restricting the daily volume of ore moved from the mine to the coast.