Bauxite mining to begin in Nyinahin – GIADEC

The Nyinahin range in the Ashanti Region will shortly start to mine for almost half a million tonnes of bauxite, according to the Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation (GIADEC).

In order to guarantee responsible mining, this comes after the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and social effect studies were successfully completed.

Michael Ansah, the CEO of the Corporation, stated that precautions were also being taken to guarantee that the exercise complies with international standards.

“Following all of this work, we have been able to establish bauxite reserves in the order of some three hundred and seventy-five million tonnes in the hills 4, 5 and 6 of the Nyinahin range.

“Earlier on, GIADEC had carried out the verification of the first three hills in Nyinahin, that is hills 1, 2 and 3 and that came to a hundred and sixteen million metric tonnes so together we are looking at a half a million tonnes of bauxite from hills 1 to hills 6 that have qualified in line with international standards”.

Three years after President Akufo-Addo said that a bauxite business will begin mining at Nyinahin in the Atwima Mponua area, GIADEC has released an update.

During a tour of the area, the President spoke at a durbar at Nyinahin R/C School Park. He announced that the bauxite company had finished its preparatory work and that workers would soon arrive at the site to begin business, which would accelerate the area’s development and provide job opportunities for the youth.

“This bauxite nearly became the personal property of one individual, but we are going to ensure that the entire country benefits from the resources, especially the people of Nyinahin,” he added.

After High Street Ghana Limited applied for a mining license to mine in the Kakum National Park, Ghanaians have now returned to social media to discuss mining in reserved areas.

Even though the Minerals Commission denied the proposal, many people are still concerned about how mining operations would continue to destroy lands and waterways.

Speaking about this, the GIADEC CEO maintains that the exercise, which has not yet begun, would center around responsible mining.

“Another thing that is a major concern to all of us, I mean, several Ghanaians is the whole environment because we are mining in the Tano Offin forest reserve and the work relating to the environmental, social impact analysis has been done.

“All the issues around hydrology have been addressed and this is going to be a very important thing that allows us to mine in a very responsible way,” Michael Ansah said.