EGA loads first bauxite from its under-construction Guinea mining project

Emirates Global Aluminium has achieved a milestone at its under-construction Guinea bauxite mining project as the first bauxite train travelled from its subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation’s mine to the coast.

EGA said the 80-wagon train carried some 6,800 tonnes of bauxite. The bauxite will be used to begin building a base-layer of bauxite at GAC’s new stockyard. First bauxite exports from the project are expected in the second half of this year.

Source: Emirates Global Aluminium

Abdulla Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “This milestone is the result of many thousands of hours of planning and teamwork in Guinea involving GAC, train operator Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée, the owner of the existing rail infrastructure ANAIM, and other rail partners. I would like to thank everyone for their contribution to the safe and successful completion of this first journey as well as our neighbours. We are making good progress in Guinea, and look forward to first bauxite exports later in the year.”

With a budget of approximately $1.4 billion, GAC is the largest greenfield investment in Guinea in the last four decades.

GAC has completed rail loops, and spurs to connect its facilities to an existing nearby railway track that is used by other companies. GAC is also building port facilities including the unloading yard and an export pier at Kamsar, a well-established bauxite port.

Once the GAC project is fully-operational, up to six loaded bauxite trains a day are expected to make the journey from the mine to the port. The project is estimated to produce some 12 million tonnes of bauxite per year.