08
November
2018
|
14:09
Europe/Amsterdam

First locomotives for EGA’s Guinea project arrive in West African country

First locomotives for EGA’s Guinea project arrive in West African country

United Arab Emirates, 08 November 2018: Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, today announced the arrival in the Republic of Guinea of two SD40-2 shunting-locomotives that will be used on its under-construction bauxite mining project in the West African country.

EGA’s subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation is building a bauxite mine and associated export facilities in Guinea in the largest greenfield investment in the country in the past 40 years.

The shunting-locomotives will be used to move rail wagons around GAC’s loading area at its mine location and at its unloading platform at Kamsar port on the Guinean coast.

The locomotives were manufactured in the United States. Each locomotive is power-rated to 3,000 horsepower and can shunt and manœuvre up to 120 fully-laden wagons (weighing more than 10,200 tonnes).

First bauxite exports from GAC’s project are expected to start during the second half of 2019. GAC is expected to produce some 12 million tonnes of bauxite per year once fully operational.

Paulo Castellari, GAC’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The arrival of these shunting-locomotives is another milestone in the development of our project, which will boost the mining sector and the economy of the area and of Guinea as a whole. Our infrastructure for the mining of bauxite and delivery to ships for export is rapidly taking shape. We are focused on completing our work safely and efficiently.”

GAC will use existing railway lines and hauling-locomotives for most of the 90-kilometre journey from the mine to the port. The company is building rail spurs at both ends of the line to connect the existing rail network to its facilities.

The total budgeted project cost of the GAC project is around $1.4 billion.