– once fully operational project is expected to meet

100% of US military demand

The United States (US) Government on Friday announced a US$150 million investment geared towards expanding bauxite mining in Guyana as Washington moves to secure a regional supply chain for refractory-grade bauxite, a critical material for national defence and key industrial base sectors. In a statement on Friday, the US Department of War’s (DOW) Economic Defence Unit (EDU), in partnership with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, announced an US$85.5 million equity investment agreement with Strategic Bauxite USA, through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) programme. This contribution is complemented by an additional US$64.5 million co-investment from the private sector. “These funds will be used to acquire and expand the First Bauxite (FBX) mine in Guyana, develop new calcination facilities for primary processing, and contribute to a follow-on project to construct a brown-fused alumina (BFA) facility in the United States,” the DOW said in its missive.