Rusal starts to ship bauxite from Dian-Dian, Guinea

UC RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, has announced the completion of the first stage of development of the Dian-Dian bauxite deposit in Guinea and the commencement of ore export shipments. During this first stage, RUSAL has commissioned  a mine with an annual capacity of 3 Mt of bauxite and has built the entire associated infrastructure to serve the mine (in particular, roads and a railway line) for the transportation and storage of ore. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, the Russian Ambassador to Guinea, Alexander Bregadze, as well as the management of RUSAL.

“For the last 15 years RUSAL has remained one of the largest investors in the economy of Guinea. The mutually beneficial nature of our cooperation with the Government of Guinea, within the framework of the Dian-Dian project, continues to contribute to improving the investment climate in this West African country. The commissioning of the bauxite mine means not only the creation of new jobs and increased employment for the local population, but also new opportunities for the development of the economy of Guinea, “said Yakov Itskov, Director of the Alumina Division at UC RUSAL.

RUSAL owns the development rights for Dian-Dian, which is the world’s largest known bauxite deposit with proven reserves of 564 Mt.  In 2015, within the framework of the investment project, RUSAL signed a multilateral agreement covering the use of the existing railway infrastructure in the province of Boké, where the Dian-Dian mine is located. This was the first such agreement between RUSAL and the Government of Guinea, with the aim of fostering a spirit of collaboration between business and the state in order to achieve the full industrial and socio-economic potential of the country.

RUSAL has also restarted the Friguia Alumina Refinery in Guinea. This follows  agreements reached in 2016 between the Republic of Guinea and the company, which provide for the ramp up of production  up to 550-600,000 t/y of alumina within 12 months from the resumption of operations.

“The commencement of shipments from the Dian-Dian deposit and the resumption of the operation of the Friguia alumina refinery are important developments both for RUSAL and the Republic of Guinea. Thanks to the support of the country’s leadership, the previously reached agreements on the implementation of these large-scale projects have been fulfilled on time, which is hugely beneficial for the development of the city of Friguia, the industrial centre of Guinea, “said Itskov.

The Friguia alumina refinery complex includes a bauxite mine, alumina refinery, railway and other infrastructure. The entire complex has been designed with an annual capacity of up to 650,000 t/y of alumina and 2.1 Mt of bauxite. Production was suspended in April 2012.

RUSAL has been operating in the Republic of Guinea since 2001, and is one of the largest foreign investors in the country. In Guinea, RUSAL owns and operates the Compagnie des Bauxites de Kindia (CBK – pictured) as well as the Friguia alumina refinery complex.