The management of BOSAI Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc. (BMGGI) is optimistic that the company will complete at least one of two dust collectors to be installed on kilns 13 and 14 in the bauxite plant to significantly reduce the dust emitted into the Linden community and its environs.
A team of experts had arrived in the country in September to commence the assembly process of the US$6M dust emission system while the company’s management assured residents that they will be delivered as promised.
On Monday, Senior Personnel Officer of BOSAI Vance Reid took reporters on a tour of the bauxite plant to show that work on the dust collectors was progressing.
During the latter half of 2011, Reid had given the assurance that they would have the system up and running by the end of the year but stakeholders and residents of the Linden community were sceptical.
On Monday, Reid said that he was positive that the first of the two dust collectors would be completed towards the end of February and made operational no later than early March.
“We have been consistent in keeping the public informed through regular TV programmes as to where we are with this. We have been keeping them informed step by step along the way and we are confident that towards the end of February, early March the first system would be up and fully operational,” said Reid.
As evident from the tour, works on the #14 kiln was approximately 70% complete and ground setting works for the erection of the dust collector for the #13 kiln is complete, paving the way for the erection of the unit on that kiln.
Lecette Whittaker, a junior Environmental Officer attached to the company, was also optimistic that they are on target and following all the environmental procedures to ensure efficiency.
Whittaker said that she is confident based on the design and structure of the units that dust emitted into the atmosphere will be almost 100% reduced, and the process has economical benefits for the company and residents alike since the captured product already has a market inline.
On spot also was Project Coordinator Caesar Liu, a Chinese national, who said that along the way they have encountered a number of challenges but are managing to stay on course with the set deadline.
He said that one of the major challenges encountered so far is in relation to the compressor for the #14 kiln dust collector. He explained that the existing component has to be replaced while the height of the dust collector has to be modified. “We might have some problems sourcing a new one but we are trying our best, it may cause some uncalculated delays but we are positive we will get it soon,” said Liu. He added that to date they have completed the main construction works.
“We had some problems which we solved and some we didn’t even imagine. We [are] progressing quickly but still getting many difficulties because this is the first time building ones like this in Guyana,” he added.
Liu said the resources in Guyana are limited in comparison to those of China and this has been the root cause for the extended construction process. This was supported by Reid, who explained that sourcing replacements, repairing damage and facilitating modification processes take a long time since the major works had to take place in China.
The dust collector will provide employment for approximately twenty-five persons according to BOSAI. When completed, the two units will comprise the Bag House and the Cooling System.
The hot dust from the each kiln will go into the cooling system and subsequently into the Bag House, where the cooled dust will be attached to bags in casings. When air gets into the casings, they will expand causing the trapped dust to fall and be collected at the end of the process.
Bosai, after taking over the bauxite company in 2007, pledged to construct the dust collectors and has since worked towards making the promise a reality.
Since the start of the project until today residents as well as community leaders have commended the company for taking up such a great initiative.
Interim Management Committee Chairman Orrin Gordon was among the first group of persons to applaud the company.
BOSAI said they will be the first company to install a dust collector unit, especially at the Linden-based bauxite company. The company has employed the services of approximately twenty Chinese nationals who have been in Linden since September and they are aided by competent locals.
The issue of having the dust emission arrested has a long history. Cambior took over the bauxite operations in Linden in 2005 and had tabled plans to have two dust collecting units installed by 2007. However, the company encountered a drastic decline in bauxite markets.
The bauxite operations at Linden were taken over by Bosai in April 2007 and this company abandoned the engineering work which was done by Cambior and did its own, utilizing its own expertise. Several deadlines were set for the commencement and completion of the dust collection units, the first being in 2009. Bosai was having the design and construction work done overseas and the installation was estimated to be completed in one year but this has taken much longer than estimated.
