Juruti Mine Project
“Alcoa will mine bauxite and return the area to the same, if not better, condition than when we initially arrived.” See an overview of the project and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Location
Avenida Marechal Rondon, 103 - Centro
Juruti-PA 68170-000
Brazil
phone: (+55 93) 3536-1830
Location Type
Bauxite, Alumina, and Chemicals
Products
Bauxite Mining
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In the 19th century the municipality of Juruti was originally a Munduruku Indian village, and it is still noticeably influenced by indigenous culture. 60% of Juruti’s population lives in rural areas. Juruti has already undergone important economic cycles, such as the extraction of rosewood and jute, but they did not lead to sustainable and long-lasting development. The economy is largely based on the growing of seasonal crops, particularly cassava. Fishing, gathering vegetable resources from the wild and, more recently, livestock farming, commerce and small service industries (linked to the port, grocery stores and food) are some of the other activities found in the region; local produce is used for people’s own consumption or for selling to the local market.
When Alcoa acquired Reynolds Metals in 2002, Reynolds had already spent years looking for minerals throughout the Juruti region. Alcoa leveraged this knowledge and started surveying the Capiranga, Guaraná and Mauari plateaus, located within the Juruti municipal boundaries. Having made the decision to invest in bauxite extraction, Alcoa set up the licensing process, by preparing the Environmental Impact Studies (EIA) and the Environmental Impact Report (RIMA) and holding a series of meetings and public hearings. These actions gave rise to the “35 Environmental Control Plans” – on which granting of the licenses was legally conditional – and a “Positive Agenda” – a voluntary initiative on the part of the Company, in partnership with the Municipal Administration. In 2005 the Prior and Installation Licenses were granted and in June 2006 Alcoa started the mining project construction. In December 2008, the Installation License was renewed.
With reserves of some 700 million metric tons, Juruti has one of the largest deposits of high grade bauxite in the world. Initial production will be 2.6 million metric tons a year. In addition to mining, the project also includes other aspects. The Juruti port terminal, two km from the center of town and on the banks of the Amazon River, will have capacity to handle ships up to 75,000 tons, similar to those that use the Panama Canal. The industrial units in the bauxite extraction area, located some 60 km from the town, will be built close to the Capiranga Plateau, the first area to be mined. The approximately 55 km railroad will operate with 40 trucks, each one capable of carrying 80 tons. |
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