Fresh from its record earnings for the first half of 2011, global mining firm BHP Billiton stepped on the gas for the realisation its expansion projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, signalling the construction start of a power plant and an additional iron ore mining site.

In a statement, BHP said on Friday that a new iron ore project in the region, the Orebody 24, will roll out into development phase immediately, allowing for the commencement of mining operation in the site by the third quarter of 2012.

According to BHP iron ore president Ian Ashby, workers will shortly begin construction of mining support facilities that include an ore crushing plant, a load-out facility and a rail spur, which he said would be employed in achieving a site production target of at least 17 million tonnes of iron ore each year.

And beginning 2014, BHP's Pilbara operations will be amply supported by the projected completion of the Yarnima Power Station on that year, which according to Ashby "will power our existing operations and provide a platform for further mine development."

The new BHP energy facility in Newman, Ashby said, will be an hybrid cycle gas turbine power station that would spur the company's growth plans on its iron ore mining sites in Pilbara.

Once completed, Yarnima is slated to supplant BHP's Newman Power Station and will draw its 190 MW power-generating capability by utilising gas turbines that are designed to trap unused heat energy.

This, BHP said, is made possible by installing heat recovery steam generators to the energy plant, a cutting-edge technology that Ashby asserted "will minimise gas usage while also reducing carbon emissions."

BHP has earmarked more than $597 million to finance the development and completion of the Yarnima Power Station, the Australian Mining has reported, which is also engineered to continue running on diesel to avoid disruption of operation in the event of gas supply interruptions.

"By employing state of the art technology, this power station will also increase our carbon efficiency and promote long term energy sustainability," Ashby said in a statement.