EGA marks 100th shipload of bauxite exported from Guinea

Dubai - Capesize vessels are up to 300 metres long – more than the length of two football fields – and 50 metres wide.

Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the UAE outside oil and gas, today marked the 100th shipload of bauxite exported from the Guinea since it started wholly owned bauxite-mining subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation in August 2019.

EGA uses Capesize vessels to transport much of its bauxite ore. Capesize vessels are up to 300 metres long – more than the length of two football fields – and 50 metres wide. They can carry around 180,000 tonnes of bauxite ore.

In total EGA has exported over 16.4 million dry metric tonnes tonnes of bauxite from Guinea so far, which would be enough to fill Wembley Stadium in London more than nine times.

Bauxite is the ore from which aluminium is derived. The aluminium content of all the GAC bauxite exported so far would be enough to make over three million tonnes of metal, enough to build over 9,000 A380 airliners.

EGA mainly ships bauxite to customers in China and India, but some GAC bauxite is brought to the UAE as feedstock for EGA’s Al Taweelah alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi.

In 2020, GAC’s first full year of production, EGA was the second-biggest third party seller of bauxite in the world.

EGA’s Chief Executive Officer, Abdulnasser bin Kalban, said: “In less than two years since the start-up of GAC, we have established EGA as an important player in the global seaborne merchant bauxite market. I commend the GAC team for reaching the milestone of 100 ships sailed. We are just beginning, and look forward to growing our production in Guinea further to create more value for EGA and the Guinean economy.”

GAC operates a mining concession in Guinea covering an area of more than 690 square kilometres.

Mined ore is loaded onto trains to be taken to the coast. Each train can now carry 11,180 tonnes of bauxite ore, similar to the weight of the Eiffel Tower. So far the trains have made 1,641 return journeys, covering a distance equivalent to more than seven times around the world.

Bauxite ore is transported from GAC’s jetty at the port of Kamsar by self-propelled barges to a trans-shipment point operated in deeper water to accommodate these massive vessels.

The development of GAC cost some $1.4 billion, and was one of the largest greenfield investments in Guinea in over four decades.

In operation, the project makes a direct, indirect and induced contribution of some $700 million each year to Guinea’s economy, a 5.5 per cent boost to GDP.

Over 2,700 people are employed at GAC either directly or as on-site contractors, 94 per cent Guinean.

— business@khaleejtimes.com