A Wealth of Opportunities

To increase bauxite exports by 10 million tons by the end of the year, Guinean mining company Société miniére de Boké plans to invest up to $1 billion over the next five years to buy transport vessels and upgrade its river terminals in Guinea-Bissau. The country serves as the world’s second-largest producer of bauxite and currently accounts for roughly 25% of global production. Bauxite is produced from eight operational mines in the country, with three major mines – the Kindia, Helalin and Bon Ami bauxite projects – currently in the feasibility stage

Australian mining company Lindian Resources has two open-pit bauxite mining projects in Guinea-Bissau: the Lelouma Project and the Gaoual Bauxite Project. The estimated mineral resource of bauxite in the Lelouma Project is 900 million tons, whereas the Gaoual is estimated at 102 million tons. Both projects are located in close proximity to existing rail infrastructure that can transport bauxite to the port city of Kamsar for export. Together, the projects offer an opportunity to fast-track development, moderate capital investment and deliver high-grade ore into the global bauxite market.

Meanwhile, serving as one of the leading producers of copper in Africa, Mauritania’s Guelb Moghrein mine alone produced roughly 13,000 tons of the critical mineral last year. Production from the Guelb Moghrein mine, which is operated by global mining company First Quantum Minerals, has been steadily increasing in recent years and serves as a vital contributor to the country’s economic growth.

Mineral Riches Unveiled

In July 2024, Australian mining company Aura Energy received authorization from Mauritania’s National Authority for Radiation Protection, Safety and Nuclear Security to commence construction and operation of the Tiris uranium project, which holds initial reserve estimates of 10.9 million tons. With commercial production for the project scheduled for 2026 and an annual production rate of 1,000 tons over 17 years, Tiris is set to become Mauritania’s first uranium mine, positioning the country as the second-largest producer in West Africa.

In Ivory Coast, mineral exploration company Mako Gold confirmed the discovery of a significant manganese deposit on the surface of its Korhogo mining project in August 2023. The discovery aligns with the country’s status as a leading global producer of the critical mineral, serving as the eighth largest exporter of manganese in the world. Meanwhile, set to position Senegal among the top producers of zircon in the world, the country launched its Acceleration of Zircon Exploitation project in 2022, which aims to achieve a production rate of 90 tons per year. Senegal’s flagship operation is the Grande Côte Mineral Sands project, which currently produces approximately 55 kilotons of zircon per year.

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