Canyon Resources: André Henry appointed as Director of Port and Rail for Camalco SA

The developer of the world-class Minim Martap bauxite project in Cameroon, Canyon Resources Limited has appointed André Henry as Director of Port and Rail, for Camalco SA.

Camalco SA is the 100% owned Cameroonian entity that holds the authorizations for Canyon Resources Minim Martap Bauxite Project in Cameroon, counted as one of the highest-grade bauxite deposits globally. André has been consulting to Canyon for the last 6 months.

André Henry, as Director of Port and Rail, joins Camalco Director-General Rick Smith in Cameroon, and, upon an invitation from Camrail, is based in the Camrail office near the port of Douala.

Lately, André and Rick both held senior management positions in the construction of the $1.4 billion GAC bauxite project in Guinea. In conjunction with Camalco’s technical services team in Cameroon and the corporate team in Perth, Australia, André’s appointment prepares the owners team for the transition from studies to project execution.

André carries a highly successful, rail and logistics focussed career for over 35 years and has led billion-dollar international railway initiatives for AECOM’s West African, Middle East and North American businesses, Etihad Rail and Emirates Global Aluminium’s bauxite project in Guinea.

He has also operated his own successful rail consultancy business for 10 years and has previously worked on the Cameroonian rail network including within the port of Douala. His experience covers the project development cycle from government negotiations, financing, construction, operational readiness, operations, and operational optimisation.

Managing Director, Phil Gallagher said: “It gives us great pleasure to welcome Andre to the team. His rail and Cameroonian expertise are second to none and with recent experience delivering the rail solution for the GAC Project in Guinea, we couldn’t have hoped for a more perfect fit for the role.”

Bringing direct experience on the Cameroon rail line and a well-connected network of technical and governmental contacts in Cameroon, André is very well placed to take the rail and port project elements to the next phase of development.

Canyon Resources said: “As the BFS proceeds towards completion, André will lead negotiations between Camalco and the government, Camrail and the Port Authority of Douala to ensure commercial alignment with the technical studies. Meanwhile, our key BFS consultants, Vecturis, FHDI and CIE, continue to advance the technical components of the BFS.”

André Henry commented: “I am very excited to join the Canyon team. This project benefits greatly from the rail network, and I am absolutely ready to take on this challenge and deliver the infrastructure solutions for the Minim Martap Bauxite Project. I’ve worked with Vecturis in the past and have worked on the Cameroon railway, so I know it intimately and I understand the challenges and opportunities exceptionally well.”