UAE-based industrial giant Emirates Global Aluminium has announced the first exports of bauxite ore from Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), its mining project in the Republic of Guinea in West Africa.
The first exports of bauxite ore from GAC mark the completion of EGA’s strategic expansion upstream in the aluminium value chain to create an integrated global aluminium giant.
The GAC project, and Al Taweelah alumina refinery where EGA began production in April, create new revenue streams and secure at competitive prices the raw materials that the UAE’s aluminium industry needs, EGA said in a statement.
Bauxite is the ore from which aluminium is derived. Bauxite is refined into alumina, the feedstock for aluminium smelters. EGA previously relied on imports to meet all its alumina needs.
EGA’s GAC project is one of the largest greenfield investments in Guinea in the last 40 years, and cost some $1.4 billion to develop.
GAC is expected to make a direct, indirect and induced economic impact of some $700 million each year in Guinea once production is fully ramped-up, a 5.5 percent boost to the national GDP.
EGA said it invested $3.3 billion to develop Al Taweelah alumina refinery, which is the first in the UAE and only the second in the Middle East.
Abdulla Kalban, managing director and CEO of EGA, said: “Our first export of bauxite ore is a landmark moment for EGA and for Guinea. For EGA, it completes our strategic expansion upstream, making us an integrated global aluminium producer.”
GAC’s operations include a mine, railway infrastructure and port facilities.
Around 1,000 permanent jobs have been created to operate the GAC project which is expected to produce some 12 million tonnes of bauxite ore per year at full design capacity.
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