Rusal exports first bauxite shipment from Guinea since March 12

Russian aluminium giant Rusal has transported its first bauxite shipment from its Guinean mines in over a month, according to an analysis revealed by Refinitiv shipping data on 6th April. A vessel had left Guinea's Kamsar port on 5th April after being loaded by a trans-shipping vessel that claimed of working for Rusal. The consignment marked Dian-Dian's bauxite export from 12th March.

Rusal’s supply network had been impacted in a big way owing to the Ukraine-Russia crisis and its ensuing reaction. Oleg Deripaska, the founder of Rusal had also been named on the sanction list, following the crisis.

Rusal's Dian-Dian operations, which primarily feed the company's Aughinish refinery in Ireland, export bauxite via Kamsar. However, Rusal's other Guinean bauxite mines, the Kindia operations, last shipped on 26^th February.

Rusal had previously said that shipments from Dian-Dian will restart by the end of March. Last year, Rusal's mines in Guinea produced about half of the bauxite requirement of the aluminium giant. This production is even more crucial now following Australia, the world's biggest bauxite producer has prohibited shipments to Russia, while Rio Tinto, the Anglo-Australian miner, has stated it will cut all links with the Russian entities.