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Vale Launches Reconstruction of Guinea’s Conakry-Kankan Railroad
02/24/2011 - Vale celebrates the laying of the first track of the Conakry-Kankan railroad, marking the start of reconstruction of the main link between Conakry and Kankan in Guinea.
Vale celebrated this week the laying of the first track of the Conakry-Kankan railroad, marking the start of reconstruction of the main link between Conakry and Kankan in Guinea.
Vale is investing in refurbishment of the railroad as part of its agreement with the government of Guinea. The line, which is used for passenger and general cargo transportation between Guinea’s Conakry capital city and Kankan in the eastern part of the country and run by the Office National des Chemins de Fer de Guinée, has not operated since 1983. It was initially built between 1900 and 1914 and had 45 stations. It plays an essential role by serving several towns and opening up the entire sub-region.
Vale had announced in the spring of 2010 that it would invest in Guinea’s Simandou, which will be the largest integrated iron ore mine and infrastructure project ever developed in Africa. Reconstruction of the Conakry-Kankan is part of Vale’s commitment to the development of Simandou and Guinea’s economic growth. With the railway’s rehabilitation, Vale aims to contribute to the social and economic development of the West African nation, potentially creating several thousands of jobs.
Simandou’s first phase involves development of the Zogota mine, with a dry processing plant, dedicated railroad and maritime terminal in the coast of Liberia, as well as a 100-km rail spur connecting this railway to Zogota, in Guinea. The initial phase is scheduled to start production in 2012 and will have a capacity of 15 million tonnes per year.
The project’s second phase involves capacity reaching 50 million tonnes per year in 2020, stemming from the development of blocks 1 and 2, and an additional rail spur connecting them to Zogota.
With Simandou, Vale hopes to bring significant social and economic benefits to the Guinean population.
