Bauxite is known as a rock made up of laterite soil and it is the primary raw material used in the production of alumina and aluminium metal. Generally, it is found in tropical regions, where intense decomposition aids in its generation. Bauxite is found in a thin layer, commonly 2–5 meters close to the surface.
According to the USGS, as of January 2015, the global bauxite reserves were 28.1 billion tonnes (Bnt). The West African nation Guinea has the largest reserves of bauxite with 7.4Bnt or we can around 26% of global reserves, followed by Australia with 6.5Bnt. The bauxite deposits at Weipa in Queensland and Gove in the Northern Territory of Australia are amongst the world's highest-grade deposits. Brazil with reserves at 2.6Bnt ranked third with key deposits in Trombetas while Vietnam, Jamaica and Indonesia follow with 2.1Bnt, 2.0Bnt and 1.0Bnt of reserves respectively.
As per the data revealed from the London based data analytics and consulting company, GlobalData’s mines and projects database, below are the top ten bauxite producing mines in 2020:
Weipa Bauxite Mine – Rio Tinto
The Weipa bauxite mine situated in Queensland, Australia is a surface mine, owned by global mining giant Rio Tinto. It was reported that the brownfield mine produced around 35.009 mtpa of bauxite in 2020. The lifespan of the bauxite mine ends in 2058.
Huntly Bauxite Mine - Alcoa
The Huntly mine is located near Dwellingup in Western Australia and was established in early 1976. The Huntly Mine is owned by Alcoa. Huntly is the world's largest bauxite mine, supplying bauxite ore to Pinjarra and Kwinana Refineries. Bauxite production has doubled since 1990 and in 2020 it produced around 25.133 mtpa of bauxite. The mine will operate until 2044.
Boddington Bauxite Mine – South32
The Boddington bauxite mine in Western Australia is a surface mine. It is owned by South32 Limited and the Greenfield mine is operated by South32 Alumina Pty Ltd. However, the bauxite production recorded was around 18.325 mtpa in 2020, while the mine will cease its operation by 2034.
Sangaredi Bauxite Mine – Guinea Bauxite Company & Halco Mining Inc.
In October 1963, Sangaredi bauxite mine was founded, which ranks as the largest bauxite producing company in Guinea and one of the largest in the world. It is 49% owned by the Guinean government and 51% by Halco Mining Inc, a consortium comprised of Alcoa, Rio Tinto-Alcan and Dadco Investments. CBG aims to explore and exploit the Sangarédi plateau in the Boké region. The brownfield mine produced an estimated 16.506 mtpa of bauxite in 2020 and predicted with a life span by 2038.
Gove Bauxite Mine – Rio Tinto
The Gove bauxite mine in East Arnhem Region, Northern Territory, Australia has been in production since 1971. The Rio Tinto owned surface brownfield mine produced an estimated 12.299 mtpa of bauxite in 2020. However, the mine is envisioned to operate until 2030.
MRN Bauxite Mine - Mineração Rio do Norte S.A
The MRN bauxite mine is the largest Brazilian producer and exporter of bauxite. It is a surface mine situated in Para, Brazil. The Greenfield mine produced an estimated 11.629 mtpa of bauxite in 2020, while the mine will functionalize until 2026. The bauxite produced is exported to three continents.
Willowdale Bauxite Mine – Alcoa Australia
Willowdale Bauxite Mine is located in the Darling Ranges area near Waroona in Western Australia and is owned by Alcoa of Australia Limited. In 1984, the exploitation commenced and generally, it produces approximately 10 million tonnes of bauxite per year with an alumina percentage of approximately 32.7%, while in 2020 it produced 9.667 mtpa of bauxite. It is expected that until 2044 the mine will be functioning.
GAC Bauxite Mine - EGA
Guinea Alumina Corporation is the bauxite mining subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium, the world’s largest ‘premium aluminium’ producer. The GAC bauxite mine is a surface mine located in Boke, Republic of Guinea. The Greenfield mine produced an estimated 8.4 mtpa of bauxite in 2020, whereas, the longevity of the mine to remain up to 2039. Guinea Alumina Corporation operates significant infrastructure in the province of Boké to mine bauxite ore and moves it to the coast at Kamsar for export.
Boffa Bauxite Mine - Chalco
The surface mine in Guinea, Boffa Bauxite mine majorly owned by the Aluminum Corporation of China “Chalco” situated in Boke region has produced around 8.062 mtpa of bauxite in 2020. It was reported that the first shipment from its Boffa bauxite mine in Guinea arrived in China, during February 2020, while the cargo left with bauxite from Guinea port during December 2019.
Paragominas Mine – Norsk Hydro
The Paragominas bauxite surface mine is a sizeable mine located in the northern part of Brazil in Pará. However, the Norsk Hydro owned Paragominas represents one of the largest bauxite reserves in Brazil and one of the largest in South America, having estimated reserves of 1 billion tonnes. The Greenfield mine produced around 6.998 mtpa of bauxite in 2020, while the mine is foreseen to operate until 2041.
source https://www.alcircle.com/news/worlds-top-ten-bauxite-producing-mines-of-2020-75496
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