**5. Guinea's bauxite-aluminum industry**

**Figure 3** shows the location and number of concessions, or permits to operate, for bauxite mining and alumina refining. Mining is largely centered in northwestern Guinea in the Boké Region's SEZ. The majority of concessions are held in whole or in part by foreign mining organizations that have incorporated Guinean operating companies in conjunction with the Republic of Guinea's government. Through 2015, Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG, a.k.a. Guinea Bauxite Company) accounted for >75% of extracted bauxite. Guinea's government holds a 49% interest in CBG, with the balance held by an international consortium. The remaining 20– 25% of Guinea's bauxite industry prior to 2016 was controlled by Russia's RUSAL, operating three wholly owned subsidiaries. Large-scale growth began in 2015 (primarily) by expanding existing concessions and granting new concessions, with new mining operations coming on line in 2016. Guinea's government controls 10–15% of most of the new concessions.

#### **5.1 Current bauxite-aluminum production**

Bauxite production for 2008–2018 (estimated) is provided in **Table 2**, and a summary of mining companies operating in Guinea is provided in Appendix A. Despite more than a half-century of bauxite mining, only one alumina refinery has been established in Guinea and its operation has been sporadic and largely inconsequential. No smelters have yet been constructed.

**5.2 GHG emissions**

*\* Estimated.*

**55**

**Table 2.**

**Figure 3.**

*Location of Guinea's bauxite-aluminum concessions.*

*Sustainably Growing Guinea's Bauxite-Aluminum Industry*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86471*

*Bauxite production and GHG emissions, 2008–2018.*

Although it does not integrate water pollution, soil pollution, or other types of air pollution relevant to the funding opportunities offered by the GCF, GHG emissions is the primary metric used to determine climate mitigation and adaptation

**Year Bauxite production (Mt) [3] GHG emissions (MtCO2e)**

 18.5 0.33 15.6 0.28 17.4 0.31 17.6 0.32 17.8 0.32 18.8 0.34 17.3 0.31 18.1 0.33 31.5 0.57 46.2 0.83 2018\* 50.0 0.90

## *Sustainably Growing Guinea's Bauxite-Aluminum Industry DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86471*

#### **Figure 3.**

mining or alumina refining. Smelting also produces air emissions of fluorides and

**Alumina refining (per t of alumina refined)**

5 kWh [29] 150 kWh [29] 14,000 kWh [31]

0.6 m3 8 m<sup>3</sup> [31] 20 m<sup>3</sup>

0.00095 t dust 1–1.5 t 0.05 t

**Alumina refining (per t of aluminum)**

27.7 kWh 337.5 kWh 14,000 kWh

3.3 m<sup>3</sup> 18 m<sup>3</sup> 20 m<sup>3</sup>

Negligible 3.4 t 0.05 t

Fuel input 1.5 kg [29] 100 kg [30] Not available

Fuel input 8.3 kg 225 kg Not available

**Aluminum smelting\* (per t of primary aluminum smelted)**

**Aluminum smelting\* (per t of aluminum)**

**Figure 3** shows the location and number of concessions, or permits to operate, for bauxite mining and alumina refining. Mining is largely centered in northwestern Guinea in the Boké Region's SEZ. The majority of concessions are held in whole or in part by foreign mining organizations that have incorporated Guinean operating companies in conjunction with the Republic of Guinea's government. Through 2015,

accounted for >75% of extracted bauxite. Guinea's government holds a 49% interest in CBG, with the balance held by an international consortium. The remaining 20– 25% of Guinea's bauxite industry prior to 2016 was controlled by Russia's RUSAL, operating three wholly owned subsidiaries. Large-scale growth began in 2015 (primarily) by expanding existing concessions and granting new concessions, with new mining operations coming on line in 2016. Guinea's government controls 10–15% of

Bauxite production for 2008–2018 (estimated) is provided in **Table 2**, and a summary of mining companies operating in Guinea is provided in Appendix A. Despite more than a half-century of bauxite mining, only one alumina refinery has been established in Guinea and its operation has been sporadic and largely inconse-

Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG, a.k.a. Guinea Bauxite Company)

hydrocarbons [28].

*Inputs for bauxite-aluminum production.*

Electricity input

*Regional Development in Africa*

Water input

Waste output

Electricity input

Water input

Waste output

*\**

**54**

**Table 1.**

most of the new concessions.

**5.1 Current bauxite-aluminum production**

quential. No smelters have yet been constructed.

**5. Guinea's bauxite-aluminum industry**

**Bauxite mining (per t of bauxite ore extracted)**

**Bauxite mining (per t of aluminum)**

*Electrolysis process only, excludes anode production and ingot casting.*

*Location of Guinea's bauxite-aluminum concessions.*


#### **Table 2.**

*Bauxite production and GHG emissions, 2008–2018.*

#### **5.2 GHG emissions**

Although it does not integrate water pollution, soil pollution, or other types of air pollution relevant to the funding opportunities offered by the GCF, GHG emissions is the primary metric used to determine climate mitigation and adaptation

needs. For the purpose of calculating conservative GHG estimates, the proportion of hydroelectric power in the industry's overall energy mix was assumed to be consistent with regional averages in Africa (i.e., 43% [34]), compared to Guinea's actual proportion of hydroelectric power, approximately 56% [35]. This GHG analysis only considered the industry's current direct emissions, and not secondary emissions from transportation between facilities or to end users. GHG emissions are expressed throughout this chapter as t of CO2 equivalents or tCO2e. **Table 2** and **Figure 4** summarize annual bauxite-aluminum production and GHG emissions for 2008–2018. Emission factors (EFs) used to calculate GHG emissions for each step in the aluminum production process are summarized in **Table 3**. EFs are provided per t of material produced in each step and per t of aluminum produced across each step. To determine EFs, the relative proportions of material required to produce 1 t of aluminum (described in Section 4) were assumed.

Consistent with Guinea's strategic plan, bauxite production has increased rapidly since 2016. Guinea's alumina refinery had not been operating, so recent GHG emissions were negligible, though refining resumed in early 2018.
