China Likely to Speed up Construction of Alumina Projects in Guinea after the Country Requires International Mining Companies to Build Alumina Refineries Locally

SHANGHAI, Apr 18 (SMM) - According to reports by foreign media, Guinea's interim government has recently asked international mining companies to submit production plans for refining bauxite into alumina and a timetable for the construction of alumina refineries before the end of May this year. This move may speed up the pace of Chinese enterprises investing in the construction of alumina projects in Guinea.
 Guinea is currently the country with the largest bauxite reserves in the world. It has the world's largest bauxite deposit with high content of alumina. The bauxite reserves in Guinea exceed 40 billion mt, accounting for more than one-third of the world's total reserves. Among them, the proven reserves of bauxite are more than 29 billion mt, ranking first in the world. Guinea has long sought to use its abundant mineral resources for economic development, and bauxite development companies have been urged in recent years to commit to building local production facilities to convert bauxite into more valuable alumina.
 The Guinean interim government’s request for international mining companies to build alumina refineries is similar to Indonesia’s mining ban in previous years. The purpose is to reduce the export of bauxite resources, extend the aluminium industry chain, and increase the added value of aluminium products. For most of the Chinese aluminium enterprises, Guinea's requirements for the construction of alumina refineries comes as no surprise.

After Indonesia’s announcement of bauxite export ban, Chinese enterprises have accelerated the construction of alumina refineries in Indonesia. By the end of 2021, Chinese enterprises had built nearly 6 million mt of alumina capacity in Indonesia and Jamaica.