President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn and other government ministers yesterday visited the Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Inc. where an expansion of the Metallurgical Bauxite Project (MAZ) is underway.
This ambitious initiative is set to increase bauxite production from 1 million tonnes annually to 3 million tonnes per annum, a release from the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday noted.
Key components of the expansion include the construction of a new Bosai wharf and the installation of a conveyor belt system designed to efficiently transport bauxite from the mines directly to the wharf. The wharf, currently at 85% completion, spans approximately 1,200 cubic meters and represents a critical infrastructure upgrade for the project, the release said.
The expansion project is being executed by China Road and Bridge Construction Company (CRBC) in collaboration with local partner Japarts on behalf of Bosai. This development is expected to significantly boost the local economy by creating approximately 300 jobs for residents, the release said.
In his budget presentation in January this year, Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh said that Guyana’s bauxite industry was poised for major growth.
During the presentation, the importance of the bauxite sector in the medium and long term was highlighted. Singh noted that despite facing challenging market conditions in 2023, active measures have been taken to alleviate costs, expand the product range, and boost production. These efforts are predicted to bring about a significant turnaround in the bauxite industry in 2024.
One of the standout developments is the allocation of additional reserves in Kara Kara, which amount to 3.5 million tonnes. These reserves are expected to increase production by Bosai Minerals Group in Linden by more than 250,000 tonnes in 2024 and 400,000 tonnes in 2025. The existing kilns as well as the newly installed Kiln # 15 will be supplied by these reserves. The Finance Minister pointed out that Kiln # 15, which was put into operation in June 2023, marks the first new kiln in Linden since the 1970s and has received a US$120 million investment.
Additionally, the deployment of Kiln # 15 and the introduction of the new metallurgic grade bauxite (MAZ) project are poised to transform the Linden area. Currently, the company has invested US$30 million in procuring mobile equipment, including hydraulic excavators, dump trucks, crane trucks, a water truck, and graders, specifically for the 2024 operations.
Moreover, a 9-kilometer conveyor system will link the new mine in Linden to a new port, and from there, the bauxite will be barged through the river. These modern self-propelled barges, with a capacity of 13,000 tonnes, have more than doubled the capacity of previous barge, Singh said.
As a result of these initiatives, a production of 4.5 million tonnes a year is projected, with 1 million tonnes expected to be achieved by the end of 2024. Furthermore, over 500 new jobs are anticipated to be created in 2024, with an additional 500 by the first half of 2025.
