Guyana to surpass 2M tonnes of aggregates this year – Min Bharrat

With the rapid rate of infrastructural transformation taking place across the country, Guyana is set to produce over two million tonnes of aggregates by 2024 to meet the rising demand for building materials.

This was disclosed by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, as he assessed the extensive progress made in the mining sector over the past four years.

He provided the update during a recent media briefing at the Guyana Forestry Commission Complex in Kingston, Georgetown.

Aggregates are raw materials produced from natural resources, extracted from pits and quarries. These include gravel, crushed stone, loam and sand, among others.

“We are poised to surpass the two million, maybe we will get up to 2.5 million tonnes of aggregates in 2024 which is a significant achievement and improvement from 2020 to now,” the minister disclosed.

Since the PPP/C Government took office in 2020, the production of aggregates has increased significantly. In 2020, annual production stood at 600,000 tonnes.

By mid-2023, approximately 900,000 tonnes had already been produced, and by the end of July this year, the country’s aggregate production had reached 1.6 million tonnes.

“This is because of the expansion of the quarry sector, the re-financing and the additional investment being made by the existing and longstanding quarry operators, and also the new licences that we would have issued over the last few years. Some of those quarries are now coming into operation and production,” Minister Bharrat explained.

The minister further noted that the amount expected in this year is likely to increase in 2025 as new quarries are preparing to begin production next year.

He highlighted that the demand for aggregates in the infrastructure industry is expected to grow even further in the coming years.

It is projected that in two to three years, Guyana will require over five million tonnes of aggregates.

“The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is making preparations to ensure that within another few years, we will be in a position to produce if not all, most of what the demand is locally,” the natural resources minister highlighted.

Meanwhile, turning his attention to the bauxite industry, Minister Bharrat acknowledged that the sector had been in decline for some time but is now set to rebound with two major companies in operation.

“Today, we are turning it around with the two main companies operating. That is GINMIN (Guyana Industrial Minerals Inc.) first bauxite in the Bonasika area and with Bosai operating in the Linden area,” the minister said.

Due to significant investment by Bosai, the GGMC has issued a permit for a remnant deposit in the Kara Kara area in Linden. This will significantly boost the company’s output.

The company’s investment is also creating increased employment for the residents of Region Ten.