African Aluminium Industry: Structure, Problems, Potential

Abstract

The concentration of ore reserves for aluminum production in a limited number of countries increases the global importance of Africa as the owner of this strategic raw material resources. A quarter of the world’s proven bauxite reserves concentrated on the continent, primarily in Guinea, are consumed mainly by developed countries for metal manufacturing, which leads to a territorial gap in the stages of aluminum production. At the same time, aluminum smelters in African countries use imported raw materials, which increases production cost. For African states, it is becoming most essential to create a full production cycle based on internal bauxite reserves and energy sources, which will make it possible to obtain products with high value added. The aluminum industry contributes to Africa’s economies, providing foreign exchange earnings from exports, as well as the world mining companies’ investment in transport and port infrastructure and assistance in the social sphere, in particular, the Russian company OK RUSAL provides comprehensive support to Guinea in health and education fields.