Milestone for GAC as massive rail car dumper arrives at Kamsar

Rail car dumper shipped in 142 pieces and will now be assembled at GAC’s Kamsar site

Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), a major player in the mining sector in Guinea, today announced a milestone in the construction of its bauxite mining project as a major piece of equipment arrived at Kamsar.

The rail car dumper, which will weigh 620 tonnes once installed, is amongst the biggest single pieces of equipment for the project, which is one of the largest greenfield investments in Guinea in the last 40 years.

The rail car dumper will be used at Kamsar to unload bauxite from rail wagons arriving from GAC’s mine. The rail car dumper will be capable of lifting two 110-tonnerail wagons at a time, tipping out bauxite ore which will be transported by conveyor to barges. The advanced technology used will enable GAC to unload two rail wagons every 90 seconds, each carrying 87 tonnes of bauxite.

The rail car dumper is the first of two very heavy pieces of equipment that will be arriving at Kamsar. It was manufactured in China and was shipped in 142 pieces. The parts will be carefully transported to GAC’s site where the rail car dumper be assembled.

This kind of equipment was chosen by GAC not only because it is in line with best available technology, but most importantly because it supports the safest operational process possible, minimizing the interaction between workers and machinery therefore reducing the risk of accidents. The decision to adopt this process, although representing significant additional investment in the project, is in line with GAC’s vision for ZERO HARM.

Ms. Aissata BEAVOGUI, Executive Director of GAC, was at the port for the rail car dumper’s arrival.

“The arrival of the rail car dumper is an important moment for the GAC project and brings us closer to exporting our first bauxite. Our priority now is to move this equipment to our site, and install it safely,” Ms BEAUVOGUI said.

The three largest parts of the rail car dumper, which each weigh up to 100 tonnes, will be moved from the port to their installation site by a self-propelled module transporter.

This vehicle, which is designed to move very heavy objects safely, has been brought to Guinea specifically for this task. The transporter has 42 wheels and 12 axles. Each axle is individually computer-controlled and capable of turning independently, making the transporter is highly maneuverable.

To ensure safety of people and the loads, the transporter will move very slowly, at just three to five kilometers per hour, as it makes the five-kilometers journey from the port to GAC’s site.

More than 3,000 people are currently working on the GAC project. The project has a total budgeted cost of approximately $1.4 billion and first bauxite exports are expected during the second half of 2019.