Stockpile growing in bauxite mines: Exports from Bua stagnant

Exports have experienced a setback in Bua. At least $4 million worth of bauxite remains in Fiji mining sites for a year now despite improvement in the global market.

About 70,000 tonnes of bauxite valued at $2.8 million has remained at the Nawailevu stockpile area and 30,000 tonnes worth $1.2m has been kept at the mining site in Dreketi, Macuata.

"We have not been able to export bauxite since the first quarter of last year and haven't been able to make changes or to export this year," Aurum Exploration (Fiji) Ltd's director Derek Chiu confirmed.

"The global demand for bauxite is very bad and this has affected the situation. The quality of the bauxite from Bua has also delayed our export from Bua," he said.

Director mineral Raijeli Taga also confirmed the tonnage of bauxite that has not been exported. Quality of bauxite mined in Bua is not classed as high-grade, which according to her, could also be a reason behind the stagnancy in export.

"The department is fully aware that the price of bauxite has recovered to some extent given the rise in demand for bauxite in China, which is the wold's biggest bauxite consumer," she said.

"The bauxite in Bua is not classed as high-grade bauxite, thus the issue of securing an export market given the slow or sluggish recovery of bauxite price as well as China's insatiable demand for high-grade bauxite. This is because of the shortage of supply of high grade bauxite which was caused by Indonesia banning bauxite export in 2014 as well as Malaysia, two of the world's biggest bauxite exporters."

Mrs Taga said Aurum Exploration had been continuously updating the department of issues faced in their efforts to export bauxite.

"Currently 70,000 tonnes of bauxite is sitting at the Naiviqiri stockpile and another 30,000 tonnes of bauxite at Aurum's mining site in Dreketi ready to be shipped," she said.