Australian mining company South32 said on Wednesday (18) that it expects to rebuild stocks of alumina (the raw material needed to produce aluminium) in the coming days, if transport conditions remain favourable at Mozambican smelter Mozal Aluminium, following operational interruptions at the site due to post-election civil unrest.
According to Reuters, the company has withdrawn the production estimate for its Mozal smelter following widespread and violent protests following the disputed election result in the 9 October elections, which led to an increase in violence in the country.
According to South32, which owns 63.7 per cent of the smelter, the disturbances led to the closure of roads, which made it difficult to transport raw materials to the plant.
‘In the last few days, the roadblocks have largely been eliminated and we have been able to safely transport the alumina from the port to Mozal,’ said the mining company.
‘Although the situation in Mozambique has improved, any escalation in civil unrest, which is likely following the results of the elections by the Constitutional Council on 23 December, could potentially affect trucking activity and operations at the company,’ added South32.
Mozal is one of Mozambique’s economic pillars, having been responsible for around 1.1 billion dollars in aluminium exports in 2023, making it the country’s third largest export product.
The protests, which have been going on since the general elections on 9 October, have resulted in more than 100 deaths, hundreds of injuries and thousands of arrests. Most of the victims are demonstrators who have clashed with the police.
