Representatives of First Bauxite, Strategic Bauxite USA LLC and ElementUSA have visited Guyana for talks on electricity supply and other technical matters linked to their planned expansion of the country’s bauxite industry.
The companies met with Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar on Tuesday as work continues on the investment, which includes the acquisition and expansion of the First Bauxite mine.
A key focus of the meeting was the project’s electricity requirements and possible power supply options, as the companies work through the technical needs of the planned expansion and processing operations.
The visit comes after the United States announced an US$85.5 million equity investment in Strategic Bauxite USA, as part of a wider US$150 million investment package involving private investors.
The funding is expected to support the expansion of the First Bauxite mine in Guyana, the establishment of new calcination facilities for primary processing and the development of a brown-fused alumina facility in the United States.
The project is targeting high-grade refractory bauxite, a material used in industries requiring resistance to extremely high temperatures, including steel, energy, aerospace and defence.
For Guyana, the investment could also bring more processing activity to the country instead of focusing only on mining and exporting the raw mineral.
Minister Indar welcomed the move towards greater value-added processing, describing it as an important signal for Guyana’s development.
The latest discussions indicate that the companies are now working through some of the practical requirements needed to move the planned expansion forward, including how its increased electricity demand will be met.
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