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Special report on the Bélinga iron deposit

One of the objectives defined in the President's social programme, « My Programme - Greater Action for Gabon », is to create sustained and long-lasting growth, generating thousands of new jobs. Gabon has its sights on becoming the world's leading producer of manganese, especially in the oil and mining industries (page 8 of his social programme).

The Bélinga iron ore deposit, an economic resource for Gabon

The Bélinga iron ore deposit in the north-east of Gabon was discovered in 1895 and stands as one of the last untapped iron ore deposits on earth, with an iron content of 64% and reserves estimated at one billion tons.

The President has pursued the implementation of his social programme, "My Programme - Greater Action for Gabon", for diversifying the country's economy, so that "tomorrow will be better than today". The culmination of the high level of cooperation between China and Gabon, the "Bélinga iron" project, spearheaded personally by His Excellency El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba during official visits and wide-ranging talks, ended on a positive note.

From left to right Representatives from CMEC, President of the Gabonese Republic (centre), Jean Ping, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emmanuel Mba-Alloho, Ambassador of the Gabonese Republic to the People's Republic of China, and Paul Toungui, Minister for Finance and Privatisation

On 1 June 2006, the Gabonese Cabinet meeting granted the mining licence for the Bélinga iron deposit to a Chinese consortium, CMEC (China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation), beating competition from Brazilian company CRVD (Compagnia Vale do Rio Doce), which is already active in the Gabonese manganese market. Thanks to soaring metal prices, it is going to carry out immense renovation work in the surrounding area. Work at the site, worth some 450 million euros (or 300 billion CFA francs), is due to begin before the end of the year and the first tons of iron should be extracted by 2010. Mining the Bélinga iron deposit calls for the construction of mining facilities, power stations, railways and ports; a hydroelectric dam will provide the mine's power supply, two railway branch lines (320 km) linking Bélinga to Booué, and the Ntoum periphery to the future port of Santa Clara in north Libreville.

"Construction work at the mine and the different infrastructures will create 26 850 jobs for Gabon's population. Once mining is underway, the Bélinga iron mine will create 3 000 direct jobs and 10 000 indirect jobs," advises the minister in a statement. "In terms of employment, priority will be given to the Gabonese people in accordance with the pledge made by President Omar Bongo Ondimba to create thousands of jobs for Gabonese nationals," he continues.

The project will feature two branch lines, some 500 kilometres of railways linking Bélinga to Booué, and the Ntoum periphery to the future port of Santa Clara in north Libreville, as well as a hydroelectric dam and a deep-water port, which represent the necessary infrastructures for exporting the iron ore.

"The government would like to praise the Chinese and Brazilians for the interest that they have shown in Gabon's mining industry," continues the Cabinet Statement, which confirms its support for CRVD as part of the project to mine manganese in Franceville and Okondja in the south-east, and the continuation of its mining activities in Gabon, especially for copper and its other choice of ores.

Gabon's iron map
The main iron deposit in Bélinga, in the north-east of Gabon, boasts the highest content in an area featuring other deposits, such as Batouala, Boka-Boka and Minkébé.

>> Read the Cabinet Statement on the decision to exploit the mine and build infrastructures.

>> See the report on the Bélinga project, broadcast on TéléAfrica (in French)