AfriBiz
Sierra Leone: BauxiteIndustry Overview
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
The Mineral commodities produced included bauxite, cement, gold, and ilmenite.
In 2010, bauxite production increased by 44% to 1.0 million metric tons (Mt) from 757,000 metric tons (t) in 2009.
Netherlands-based Vimetco N.V. operated the country’s only bauxite mine. In December, the company decided to operate Sierra Leone’s bauxite mines without the support of a contractor and transferred its bauxite mining management to Alum S.A of Romania in 2011. The Romanian alumina producer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alro S.A., in which Vimetco held an 84.2% interest. In 2010, bauxite production was about 1.0 Mt compared with 757,000 t in 2009 (Vimetco N.V., 2011a, b).
In June, Sierra Leone Exploration and Mining Company Ltd. (SLEMCO) signed a joint-venture agreement with India-based ABG Shipyard Co. to mine bauxite in Porto Loko District, which is located about 120 kilometers (km) northeast of the country’s capital city of Freetown in Northern Province. Based on satellite observations, the joint venture estimated that there are reserves of 321 Mt of bauxite in Porto Loko District and part of Kambia. The joint venture envisioned producing about 10 Mt/yr for a period of 34 years. The joint venture also planned the construction of a $400 million alumina refinery (Economic Times, The, 2010; Samba, 2011).
In 2010, bauxite production increased by 44% to 1.0 million metric tons (Mt) from 757,000 metric tons (t) in 2009.
Netherlands-based Vimetco N.V. operated the country’s only bauxite mine. In December, the company decided to operate Sierra Leone’s bauxite mines without the support of a contractor and transferred its bauxite mining management to Alum S.A of Romania in 2011. The Romanian alumina producer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alro S.A., in which Vimetco held an 84.2% interest. In 2010, bauxite production was about 1.0 Mt compared with 757,000 t in 2009 (Vimetco N.V., 2011a, b).
In June, Sierra Leone Exploration and Mining Company Ltd. (SLEMCO) signed a joint-venture agreement with India-based ABG Shipyard Co. to mine bauxite in Porto Loko District, which is located about 120 kilometers (km) northeast of the country’s capital city of Freetown in Northern Province. Based on satellite observations, the joint venture estimated that there are reserves of 321 Mt of bauxite in Porto Loko District and part of Kambia. The joint venture envisioned producing about 10 Mt/yr for a period of 34 years. The joint venture also planned the construction of a $400 million alumina refinery (Economic Times, The, 2010; Samba, 2011).
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