BHP Says Africa Must Step Up Bauxite Output

Africa will have to raise its game as a host region for bauxite production if the world is to meet the growing demands of global aluminum production, Julius Matthys, marketing director of aluminum and alumina at BHP Billiton said. Currently,Africa supplies around 10% of the world's bauxite, the key ingredient used to make alumina. But Guinea alone holds around one third of the world's bauxite reserves, he said, meaning the country's production is falling short of its potential. Roughly four metric tons of bauxite makes two tons of alumina, which in turn makes one ton of aluminum metal. Aluminum production is expected by analysts to reach around 60 million tons by 2020.