Cameroon’s Minim Martap Project targets first bauxite shipment by September 2026

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Australian mining company Canyon Resources has refined the development timeline for its Minim Martap bauxite project in Cameroon’s Adamawa region, with the first shipment of bauxite now expected by the end of the third quarter of 2026, around late September.

The project is being developed through Canyon’s local subsidiary, Camalco. Before exports can begin, the company must complete a logistics network connecting the mine to Cameroon’s railway system and the Port of Douala.

According to the company’s latest update, the first seven locomotives allocated to the project are expected to arrive at the Port of Douala by the end of the second quarter of 2026. The first batch of railcars is scheduled to arrive in July, ahead of the planned start of commercial exports.

Rail transport forms a crucial part of the project. Camalco has ordered 22 diesel locomotives from Chinese manufacturer CRRC Ziyang Co. Ltd. and placed an initial order for 560 open-top railcars with India’s Texmaco Rail & Engineering Limited. The agreement also includes an option to acquire an additional 1,040 railcars over the next five years. These rail assets will be used to transport bauxite from Minim Martap to the Port of Douala for export.

The project depends heavily on an integrated logistics system. Canyon Resources said rail installation work has already started at the inland rail facility, and earthworks are underway at the Port of Douala. The company also has plans to build bauxite stockpiles at the mine, rail terminal and port before loading its first export vessel.

To strengthen control over the transport corridor, Canyon Resources has increased its stake in Camrail, the operator of Cameroon’s railway network, to 26.9 per cent. The move is aimed at securing reliable access to the route connecting the Adamawa region with Douala.

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Total investment in rolling stock, rail infrastructure and port facilities is estimated at around CFA 252.6 billion (USD 441.5 million). Canyon Resources describes Minim Martap as one of the world’s largest undeveloped bauxite projects, with mineral resources of about 1.1 billion tonnes and ore reserves of 144 million tonnes.

The deposit is also known for its high-quality ore, containing around 51 per cent alumina and about 2 per cent silica, characteristics that are highly valued by alumina refiners and aluminium producers.

The planned start of exports is a key milestone for Cameroon’s mining sector after years of preparation. Hitting the September 2026 target depends on on-time delivery of rail equipment, continued progress on rail and port works, and building up bauxite stockpiles before the first shipment. 

Beyond the initial export phase, Canyon Resources will focus on gradually increasing production. The long-term success of the Minim Martap project will depend not only on the quality of its bauxite reserves but also on the efficiency and reliability of the logistics corridor linking the mine, the railway network, and the Port of Douala.