Guinea: Minister of Mines visits Balaya Bauxite mining site, inaugurates Féréfou Bridge

On 14^th February 2021, Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Geology paid a visit to the Balaya bauxite mining site in the prefecture of Kindia, before proceeding to the inauguration of the new bridge located in the locality of Féréfou, under the sub-prefecture of Friguiagbè. The minister was accompanied by a strong delegation, made up of executives from his department and members of the Local Development Fund (FODEL).

Abdoulaye Magassouba, Minister of Mines, during the visit to Balaya bauxite mining site drew the attention of RUSAL-CBK officials towards the issue of environmental protection and requested their technical participation, especially in the agricultural field.

Magassouba said: “For example, you can send an expert to the peasants in neighbouring localities which are in the vicinity of the exploitation sites. What, suddenly, can contribute to the increase of the agricultural output in these localities? This does not necessarily require a great effort in financial terms.”

Welcoming that CBK did not carry out the blasting, he underlined: "The others did, but the advantage with CBK is that there is no blasting. And as you know, blasting has repercussions on flora and fauna.”

During the inauguration of the new Férefou bridge on the Samou river, Alexandre Larionov, General Manager of the RUSAL - Guinea, in his speech for the occasion, emphasized technical efficiency during the construction of the bridge in connection with the rainfall conditions in Guinea.

“The technical solutions applied during the construction of the bridge will ensure its operation for at least 35 years. Modern engineering solutions allow its operation all year round. This is especially precious in Guinea where the rainy season can last up to five months,” he explained.

For the Minister of Mines and Geology, the construction of this bridge is part of the dynamic of the mining contribution to local development: "This work is part of the overall framework of the implementation of the responsible development policy. Mines do not only develop mines, but also the support of these companies, particularly in the context of the construction of multi-use infrastructures, as part of the overall development of Guinea.”