A whopping US$23 million investment by the Chinese-owned Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Inc has already begun as part of the company’s expansion plan for its Linden, Region 10, bauxite operations.
This announcement was made on Friday morning by the mining company, which said that with these major expansions, additional long-term employment will be provided for the residents of the community.
Guyana Times understands that Bosai has already commenced preparatory works for a new number 15 rotary kiln for calcined bauxite production. This new kiln and its auxiliary facilities will cost US$20 million and are expected to produce 170, 000 metric tonnes of refractory A Grade super calcine bauxite per year.
According to the mining company, it is also investing in a new number 16 drier and auxiliary facilities, costing US$3 million, which is projected to produce 150, 000 metric tonnes of sized chemical grade bauxite.
Presently, there are 600 Guyanese employed by Bosai and this latest investment is expected to create between 150 to 200 jobs for locals.
The announcement was made on Friday during a site tour by the Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, and South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Minerals Resources, Godfrey Oliphant.
“Government is happy that Bosai, despite its challenges, and despite our own difficulties with each [other] that Bosai continues to mine,” said the Minister in an invited comment.
According to Bosai’s website, the company has ownership of over 200 million tonnes of high alumina and low iron bauxite deposits, and a bauxite reserve as such is unique around the globe in respect to quality and quantity. Currently, the company produces 1.5 million tonnes of metallurgical grade bauxite, 300,000 tonnes of refractory A Grade super calcined bauxite, 200,000 tonnes of sized chemical grade bauxite and 200,000 tonnes of cement grade bauxite, making it the largest supplier of calcined bauxite on the world market.
This investment by Bosai comes at a critical time in the bauxite mining company when Russian-owned RUSAL has laid off workers who protested a one per cent salary increase recently.