First locomotives for GAC’s project arrive in Guinea

Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC) SA, which is developing a bauxite mining project in Boké province in the largest greenfield investment in the Republic of Guinea in the last four decades, today announced the arrival in Guinea of two SD40-2 shunting-locomotives that will be used to move rail wagons around the company’s loading area at the mine location and at its unloading platform at Kamsar.

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 during the second half of 2019. GAC is expected to produce some 12 million tonnes of bauxite per year once fully operational.

Steeve Tremblay, Project Director at GAC, 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.