Guyana reviewing bauxite industry

The Guyana government says it expects to receive a report soon on the review of the bauxite industry that was commissioned last year marking the centennial of the sector.

"We are currently reviewing the industry to see where our reserves are and the future of the industry," said Natural Resources minister, Raphael Trotman.

It "includes a decision as to whether or not we should have another alumina plant in the country," Trotman said.

He anticipates that the assessment being undertaken by Lance Carberry and Sylvester Carmichael, two veterans within the industry, will be completed before the end of May.

Trotman said the David Granger government is already considering fuelling the alumina plant with natural gas, along with oil.

Guyana celebrated 100 years of bauxite mining in October 2016. Currently, the country has two bauxite-producing companies, Bosai and Rusal, involved in mining the mineral.

The decreased world demand for the mineral prompted the government to carry out the review of the industry. The review is also a manifesto promise of the administration to guide future plans for the industry.

In the 1980s, Guyana lost its 'leading' status among world bauxite producers. The alumina factory had to be closed, and the export of calcined ore declined by one-half from around 600,000 tonnes.

- CMC