Embarking on a $ 1bn expansion of its fast-paced strict compliance bauxite mine in Guinea , the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée is helping to transform the West African country into a global mining giant
The West African country of Guinea may seem small but scratch under its surface and this fast-emerging nation is set to become a frontrunner in the mining industry – and it ’ s all thanks to its abundant asset , bauxite .
Sitting on top of about a third of the world ’ s total bauxite reserves , the small , yet-resource rich country of Guinea is the second largest provider and exporter of the ore in the world .
With exports set to soar in comings years , Guinea is on track to continue on an upward trajectory and , by extracting bauxite from the heart of the country ’ s Boké region , Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée ( CBG ), is positioned to play a key role in this future .
Currently operating open pit mines in Sangarédi , Bidikoum , Silidara and N ’ Dangara , Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée is 49 % owned by the Guinean government and 51 % owned by Halco Mining Inc ., a consortium comprised of Alcoa , Rio Tinto , and Dadco Investments .
Accelerating production As the largest bauxite producing company in Guinea , and one of the largest bauxite producing companies in the world , CBG has gone from strength to strength since it was first founded in 1973 .
In the 1970s , the company ’ s first ship left the port of Kamsar with 19,000 tonnes of ore on board after a total loading time of 125 hours . Today , the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée has the ability to load 75,000 tonnes of bauxite on boats in less than 20 hours .
Production hit 15mn tonnes for the first time back in 2013 – and the numbers are still rising . As such , the historic company is
90 February 2018