Wirtgen surface miners benefiting Guinea bauxite miners with 25 machines in operation

Wirtgen, a German company in the field of road and mine machinery says its surface miners are helping bauxite producers in Guinea to explore the country’s high quality bauxite reserves. 25 of its machines are now in operation in the West Africa country.

Wirtgen supplies surface miners for the selective mining of raw materials, such as coal, limestone, bauxite, gypsum, salt and phosphate. Wirtgen commissioned its first surface in Guinea in a mine close to Kindia in 2001. Drill and blast was the main bauxite mining technique in use at that time. 

“Since then, however, the process has shifted to the more economical, safe and environmentally friendly surface mining, and today Wirtgen surface miners extract 100% of the ore,” Wirtgen said.

The most commonly used surface miners for bauxite mining in Guinea are the 2200 SM and the 2500 SM.

“Both models demonstrate their advantages in both productivity and product quality, guaranteeing lower production costs per tonne compared to conventional mining. On average, 1.25 Mt of bauxite are extracted each year with the 2200 SM and 3 Mt with the 2500 SM.”

The machines work non-stop in the mines offering optimum productivity. The major challenge for mining companies in Guinea is the country’s humid climate and long monsoon season that lasts from June to November.

Wirtgen surface miners, equipped with a discharge conveyor, minimise climactic effects by cutting and crushing bauxite rocks with a special cutting drum and placing them alongside the machine (sidecasting) ensuring constant productivity, Wirtgen says.

According to Dr Erik Zimmermann, Product Manager for Surface Miners at Wirtgen, mine operators can achieve several cost reductions when using surface miners.

“Our machines allow efficient extraction of material from mines that could not be economically exploited with traditional techniques, creating added value for the industry,” he said.

Surface mining is much more environment friendly than drilling and blasting. By using surface miners bauxite can also be extracted effectively in the vicinity of residential areas, public roads, villages, rivers or other infrastructure.  It is also possible to mine resources located in buffer and safety zones with surface miners. The use of a surface miner also has a positive effect on water management in an open-pit mine. They can maximise bauxite yield within the concession area and generate significant additional revenue for the mine.

As Africa’s top and highest-grade bauxite producer, Guinea has been increasing its bauxite production every year.  Wirtgen surface miners have been playing a significant role in exploring bauxite in Guinea without damaging the sensitive areas.

In addition to supplying customised machine equipment, Wirtgen also provides factory-level local customer support through an office in Conakry. The office offers complete on-site services such as technical assistance and service contracts using qualified personnel from Wirtgen’s headquarters in Germany.